Trees and Forests

We have been learning about trees and forests, a topic Georgia chose.

Last year I ordered some free posters and booklets about trees and forests from International Paper. (http://www.internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/Learning%20Center/Life%20Of%20The%20Forest/index.html)
We have these hanging in our kitchen where we can browse whenever we like.

We've also borrowed about ten books from the library on the topic.

And here's some sites that were informative and fun!

Check out an overview of the paper making process:
http://www.internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/Learning%20Center/Paper_Tour_Apps/Tour/paper.htm

Take a walk in the woods and learn something new.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/woods/


Explore the secret life of trees
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees2/02.html

Read some Nature Notes about things you find in the woods. (And learn about poison ivy so you know how to identify it!) http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/woods/naturenotes.html

Learn the what, where, when, and why of trees
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/wwww/scottishwoodlands/flash/

Read about a tree's true color http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/veg/trees/treestruecolor.htm

Read about leaves. http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/leaveseverywhere.htm

Learn about the parts of a tree, different types, benefits, products, biodiversity, deforestation, flood and soil erosion, global warming, and acid rain. http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/forests/index.cfm

Play the Acid Lake game to learn more about it http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/acid_rain/index.cfm

Identify what is made from wood. http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/WoodandPaper/activities/whereiswood.html

And other products from trees http://www.idahoforests.org/wood_you.htm

Find who lives in trees http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/Trees/activities/wholiveshere.html

Learn how to identify a tree http://www.oplin.org/tree/

And learn what trees can be found in Ohio http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/trees/default/tabid/5361/Default.aspx

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (http://www.boonshoftmuseum.org/) has a whole section devoted to learning about trees....in the Mead Treehouse. We will be visiting there sometime at the end of this month.

On a nice day, we plan on taking a walk in the woods and identifying some trees, as well as noting their parts. We will take some pictures of a few trees and come back again in spring, summer, and fall to note their seasonal changes.