Elizabeth Renning

Holiday Lesson Plan: Arbor Day

Grade: Kindergarten
Time: 1 school week
Curricular Connections: Math, Literacy, Art, Music,
Science, Conservation
Student learning objectives:
1) The students will identify characteristics of

tree by Adopting A Tree and journaling

their observations and reflections in a lunch bag book!
2) The students will compare and classify different types of trees.
3) The students will measure the girth and height of several different trees.
4) The students will create an art journal (lunch bag book) and record tree drawings,
reflections, and observations.
5) The students will investigate the different habitats found in trees.
6) The students will enjoy listening to sing along using Lummi sticks.
7) The students will have fun with trees! :)
Materials:
1) An area with an abundant amount of trees! (preferably with a good variety!)
2) The book Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide by Stan Tekiela and Donald Hoag
3) The song, Growth of a Tree by Meish Goldish
4) The book Secrets of the Apple Tree by Carron Brown
5) A flashlight to read Secrets of the Apple Tree
6) Blindfolds (enough for the entire class)
For the Lunch Bag Book
2) Lunch bags 1 per child
3) Small sticks (approx 4-5 inches) 1 per child
4) A 3 hole puncher
5) Rubber Bands (1 per child)
6) Scissors (1 per child)
7) Assorted materials to decorate: markers/crayons/colored pencils
For Measurement
8) Tape measure (preferably one that can easily bend)
For Season Changes

9) Chart with pictures of different seasons

10) Complete color wheel of the different seasons
For Habitat Investigation
11) Binoculars to look up at trees
12) Tree journal
13) The Book Secrets of the Apple Tree A shine a light book read with a flashlight!
Super cool!

Procedure
1) Introduce Arbor Day and invite children to share their thoughts on trees and what
they know or think about trees!
2) Read the song to the students and invite them to sing it. Add appropriate actions to
the song and sing again!
3) Create the Lunch Bag Book
4) Decorate the lunch bag book
5) Go outside to designated tree area and each child will find their special tree to
adopt
6) Measure the different elements of the tree and compare with others. (bark, leaves,
color, size, fruit etc)
7) Have students record notes/reflections/drawings of tree- collect specimens found
around the tree and place into bag.
8) Allow the student to locate their specific tree in the field guide and write down
additional notes.
9) Blindfold the students, spread them around, and see if they can locate their
adopted trees based on the feeling of the bark/leaves/height
10) Read Secrets of the Apple Tree under the tree!
11) Discuss what habitats may be found in their trees.
12) Have the children take turns using the binoculars to discover the habitats that are
found in the trees.
13) Encourage the students to draw pictures and record that information in their
journals.
Growth of a Tree
(to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a little maple, oh so small,

In years ahead, I'll grow so tall!
With a lot of water, sun, and air,
I will soon be way up there!
Deep inside the soil my roots are found,
Drinking the water underground.
Water from the roots my trunk receives,
Then my trunk starts making leaves.
As I start to climb in altitude,
Leaves on my branches will make food.
Soon my trunk and branches will grow wide,
And I'll grow more bark outside!
I will be a maple very tall,
Losing my leaves when it is fall.
But when it is spring, new leaves will show.
How do trees grow? Now you know!
Meish Goldish

Procedure for teaching this song

1) This song is about the journey of a maple tree and what it needs to grow!
2) Listen to it the first time and have the students guess what the song is in the tune
too.
3) Invite the students to sing the song again.
4) Encourage the students to create actions that go with the song (crouching down
when small/rising up when bigger/touching the ground for roots/shaking hands
when leaves are lost)
Procedure for Lunch Bag Book
1) Take a paper lunch bag and cut the bottom rectangle off.
2) Fold the bag in half so that both open ends are facing the same way
3) Hole punch the side opposite of the side with the two open ends
4) Using a rubber band, fasten the small stick to the bag by looping it through the top and
bottom hole of the bag.

Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1

Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe

several measurable attributes of a single object.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose

informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about
and supply some information about the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.10

Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.5

Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide

additional detail.