ARBOR DAY - Become friends with a TREE!

1. VIEW: the video  ARBOR DAY 
DISCUSS: What are the obvious ways that trees & bushes  enhance human & animal life...and also discuss more serious ecological benefits to our lives from trees being in our yards, communities, forests. ["Trees remove CARBON DIOXIDE from our air and release OXYGEN; help stop erosion, keep the earth's surface a bit COOLER [think of a hot parking lot in the summer, and the difference it makes when your parent parks under a tree in that lot", and provide food and shelter for humans, animals, birds, insects."]
2. VIEW: the video CAT CELEBRATES ARBOR DAY
DISCUSS:  "Any new information in this video?" [it's a little more "childlike", than previous video, but still informational and good for a "start-up!"]
3.  Read aloud, a true story! [ with very simple, but effective,  drawings of trees] A woman who lived over 100 years ago always loved being outside and especially  LOVED TREES!! [THE TREE LADY, by J. Joseph Hawkins] HOW DID SHE MAKE AMAZING CHANGES IN HER COMMUNITY?  Does an adult always find the "perfect job" on the first try?  Sometimes it helps to really put your energy into something you truly believe is important. [ELA CONNECTION:...notice the "catch phrase" at the end of each line..."but Kate did, but not Kate, but thanks to Kate"...and discuss this writing technique to ELA standards/ writing a story or essay]
4.  Read another true story and important story about conservation and 'social action'. [WANGARI'S TREES OF PEACE, by Jeanette Winter] " This story, which happened in Africa ,is about saving an environment from destruction, and standing firm in your beliefs and your convictions."Right is right, even if you're standing alone."  Wangari, the brave woman who planted trees, eventually won the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE for her courageous efforts to save her community.  How would it feel to be "alone" in an important cause at first?  Discuss the verb "perservere."
5.  Arbor Day has been celebrated for DECADES, but was made a national holiday in 1970, by President Richard Nixon. He decreed that ARBOR DAY will be celebrated each year on the last Friday in April. So, what date will that be this year/ 2018?  Did you know it was a national holiday?    If not, how can we make our families, friends, neighbors, and community that ARBOR DAY is worthy of being celebrated?   And what kind of celebration will make a difference to our landscapes and environment, eating cake & ice cream only?     What kind of MEANINGFUL  things can we do?   [plant trees, make posters about protecting trees, learning about trees, hanging a birdhouse in a tree as a help to  those who make their homes in trees, etc.]

1.   Project 1:  BARK RUBBINGS:   
*Cut up an old brown paper grocery bag.   Cut along the lines to get several long, narrow sections that look like a mini- "tree trunk."  [Several students can share one bag; all each will need is one 14"x5" piece to make a "bark rubbing."]  They will be making marks on the part of the brown bag that does NOT have store writing printed on it.
*Peel some light  gray, dark gray,  black,  & dark brown crayons, & break each in half.   Students may have to take turns. 
* Before walking outside:  Remind students that they will NOT mark on the tree bark.  Hold the paper carefully longways on the tree trunk,  & with crayon turned sideways, carefully put pressure on paper/ bark as you rub up and down.  Don't use the tip of crayon.  Now, each student should have a "tree trunk."[or 2 students could share making one trunk]
2.  PROJECT 2:  LEAF RUBBINGS
* Have these supplies ready:  +white construction paper, +any color crayons [darker colors, not very light colors], with paper peeled off, broken in half lengthwise+ pieces of cardboard AT LEAST as big as the construction paper.  STUDENTS WILL NEED A SMALL SPIRAL NOTEBOOK AND A PENCIL. 
*  Before a "leaf collecting" walk on the school grounds, students should have a small notebook & pencil.   Tell each student they will be asked to pick 3 DIFFERENT TYPE LEAVES, very carefully, WITH STEM ATTACHED.   As they walk, they should walk up to trees, look carefully at both sides of a leaf, noticing the "veins" on the underside of the leaf that carry water throughout the leaf.  They should make a note describing WHERE THE TREE IS, if they decide to pick a leaf.    They'll need this info later, for a later project,  MEET A TREE.  They should "press" this leaf after they pick it, inside a page of their notebook.  [Carry it spiral side DOWN so their collected leaves won't fall out.]
*  Students will collect 3 different type leaves, and make a note of where each tree is located on school grounds. 
* BACK IN CLASS:  Each student is given a piece of cardboard, 1 white construction paper, and can pick  3 colors of crayon pieces.  PUT CARDBOARD ON TABLE, then arrange leaves in any way, but NOT TOO CLOSE TO EDGE OF CARDBOARD.  Cover all with the white sheet of contruction paper.
*With one crayon on its SIDE, start  coloring sideways with crayon over leaf # 1.  [You must hold white paper firmly so it won't slide around.]  CHANGE COLORS, and "rub" a different area of white paper to show leaf # *CHANGE COLORS again, and "rub" leaf # 3.   
*  Each student should have 3 leaf rubbings on their white paper.     If they would like to cut leaf rubbings out carefully, they may glue the LEAF RUBBINGS to the BARK RUBBINGS they made earlier.  [They can do more leaf rubbings with same leaves, if desired, different colors, maybe?] 
 Of course,  it's not realistic that one tree trunk would have many different leaf types growing on it....but...IT'S ART!  And it's TREE APPRECIATION! 

PROJECT 3: TREE  "PORTRAIT"
[ a portrait is usually an artwork depicting a PERSON, but we're calling it a "tree portrait" for Arbor Day, to especially "honor" the tree....student could even 'name' the tree if desired]
* Supplies needed:  Black construction paper,  pencil, notebook to "prop" paper on for sketching, pastels [colored drawing chalk]
* STUDENTS & TEACHER WALK ONTO SCHOOL GROUNDS.  In one area general area, so crowd control is possible, a student should "choose" a tree to draw. It's fine if several students want to draw the same tree
* with notebook propped comfortably for drawing, turn  black paper VERTICALLY and draw the shape of the GROUND, which will go from side to side near the bottom... a flat line OR curvy...as an artist, you can decide to ALTER REALITY a bit if you want.
* Now, notice the shape of the tree's TRUNK, & sketch it coming out of the ground, without it's leaves; just get the basic shape.  
* Add the basic shape (very thin outline) of the tree's LEAF CLUSTERS.  Don't draw separate leaves at this point.
* NOW: [classroom or outside, teacher's preference]  Working from the top down [so you won't smear the chalk] begin to color the trunk.  Use several colors [gray, brown, white?] and possibly blend them in with a Q-tip. 
*Now, WORKING FROM TOP DOWN CAREFULLY; add dots of different colors/ green/yellowish/ whatever....to fill in the "leaf clusters" that make up the mass of the tree. 
* FINISH UP by coloring in the ground that you sketched in the beginning, & signing with your initials in right bottom corner.
* TEACHER WILL SPRAY hair spray 8-12" away from tree portraits [outside] to SET the chalk and stop it from smearing.  Must dry for 10-15 minutes inside once sprayed.       

Just like a new driver learning road signs to drive carefully,  it's important for students to be outside and experience the environment "close up", learning names, shapes, and details about trees ...in order to grow to cherish and protect them, therefore learning to care for and protect all the elements of our environment.  Please take as much time as possible OUTSIDE  for "tree walks" , "bark rubbings" leaf rubbings, & " tree portraits" on the school grounds.  However,  "leaf rubbings" will probably have to be done inside the classroom, once leaves are collected.