The Topic:  Trees & Forests

Easier - Trees are plants with roots, a trunk, branches, and leaves or needles. A forest contains many trees.

 

Harder - Trees are woody, perennial plants with one main stem or trunk that supports many smaller branches. Trees grow taller than any other living things. Forests are large areas of tree-covered land.

 

 Aliens Explore Earth: Plants, Trees, and Forests 

http://www.alienexplorer.com/ecology/topic27.html

Here you find lots of articles on many different types of plants, trees, and forests (written for middle school students).

 

Student's Guide at Kids for Trees 

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/tree_kit/student/index.html

At this site for youngsters, you can learn about trees and wildlife of the forest.

 

Rainforest Action Network 

http://www.ran.org/ran/

Founded in 1985, the Rainforest Action Network has been working to protect tropical rainforests and the human rights of those living in and around those forests.

Another Rainforest Website:

2) Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Conservation http://www.earthwatch.org/rfteachers/index.html

 

Temperate Deciduous Forest 

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/temp/index.htm

Learn about the temperate deciduous forest at this botanical garden site.

2)Rainforests Temperate & Tropical--Webquest

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/rf/rf.htm

Websites By Kids For Kids

The Amazonas Jungle in Ecuador (1999 ThinkQuest Project) 

http://library.advanced.org/26293/

This site provides a description of the Amazonas jungle in Ecuador, with its landscapes, and tribes, all in its natural state. It is divided into four main parts: People, Places, Plants and Animals.

 

International Forest Project (1998 ThinkQuest Project) 

http://library.advanced.org/21484/

Learn about the different tree species that grow in Finland, and view some pictures of various types of forest. You are invited to submit information and stories about your own local woodlands.

 

Into the Depths of the Amazon (1998 ThinkQuest Project) 

http://library.advanced.org/21395/

Enter the vast world of the Amazon Rain Forest. Monkeys scream from the tops of mahogany trees. Jaguars prowl through shadows. Humans are cutting down forests for industry at a rapid rate.

 

Rainforest (Section within the Mysterious Journey, a 1999 ThinkQuest Project) 

http://library.thinkquest.org/26634/forest/introf.htm

Here you learn about the types of rainforests, their climate, plant and animal life, conservation concerns, and more.

 

Riverbend Tree Museum (1997 ThinkQuest Project) 

http://library.advanced.org/12824/home.html

Learn how a middle school group created a tree museum by planting seedlings from trees associated with many famous personalities. In addition, basic facts about tree propagation and cultivation are included. Short paragraphs provide information about both the person and the trees chosen; people included range from George Washington to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

Forest Fire Websites

For lots of good starting points on forest fires, go to Fires at 42eXplore.

 

A Bunch More 'Woodsy' Websites

American Forests 

http://www.americanforests.org/

This is the website of the nation's oldest nonprofit citizen conservation organization.

 

Forest Animals - Earthworks Forest Animal Links  

http://www.lx.org/ewforest.html

More Forest Animals Information:

2) Creatures of the Night http://eduscapes.com/42explore/night.htm

3) Wolves http://eduscapes.com/42explore/wolves.htm

 

Forests for Life 

http://www.panda.org/forests4life/index.htm

This is the website of a forest conservation organization.

 

International Trees and Forests Project (Elanora Heights Primary School) 

http://www.zip.com.au/~elanora/trees.html

This website lets children work co-operatively in sharing their appreciation of trees.

 

National Arbor Day Foundation 

http://www.arborday.org/

The Foundation's mission is to help promote tree care and conservation and to educate people on tree issues.

 

Poetry of Color in the Woods 

http://www.forestry.uga.edu/warnell/service/library/index.php3?docID=20

Here you can find out how and why trees put on their fiery show in the fall.

Related Websites:

2) Why Leaves Change Color (NC Cooperative Extension Service)

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/forest/topics/leafco~1.html

3) Why Do Leaves Change Color In The Fall?

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html

 

TreeGuide: The Natural History of Trees 

http://www.treeguide.com/treeguide/index.htm

This website aims at making trees more familiar, to help people understand the lives and significance of trees, and to contribute to the conservation of trees and forests. The TreeGuide includes extensive material about individual tree species, including range maps.

 

Trees of the Pacific Northwest (Oregon State University

http://www.orst.edu/instruct/for241/

This tree identification site helps you identify common conifers in the Pacific Northwest.

 

What Tree Is It? 

http://www.inspire-indiana.net/trees/trees/index.html

Identify an unknown tree (Limited to trees of Ohio) by just one part, such as a leaf or a fruit.

 

World of Trees  

http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/

Explore a 'Year in the Life of a Tree' and lots more at this great site (Some parts require download of Shockware-linked).

 

More Rainforest Websites:

Animals of the Rainforest 

http://animalsoftherainforest.org/

Here you can learn about the amphibians, birds, fishes, insects, mammals, and reptiles of the rainforest.

 

New Jersey Teachers of Biodiversity (Developed by Earthwatch-Dodge Teacher Fellows) 

http://www.earthwatch.org/rfteachers/index.html

This is a website on tropical rainforest ecology and conservation.

 

Rain Forest 

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/rforest.html

This is a large links-site that connects you to several rainforest websites.

 

Zoom Rainforest 

http://www.ZoomDinosaurs.com/subjects/rainforest/

Find out all about rainforests (Busy site, sometimes slow-loading, but excellent place to visit).

 

Websites for Teachers

Lessons at Teachers of the Rain Forest (Earthwatch) 

http://www.earthwatch.org/rfteachers/lessons.html

This collection of rain forest lessons was developed by Earthwatch-Dodge Teacher Fellows.

 

Forestry in Saskatchewan (Grade 3-6) by Cara Keeping 

http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/forestry.htm

Here is a unit outline for studying types of trees, forest life, forest products, forest fires, and more.

 

Have You Ever Met a Tree? (Pre-K to Grade 2 - Lesson from Nichols Arboretum) 

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/arb/meetatree.html

Children learn some of the characteristics or features of different trees?

 

Rain Forests and Planet Ecology by Susan Cochran and Ann Schwarting (Grade 3-5) 

http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Rainfor.htm

Through the use of literature and related activities, students will expand their knowledge of rain forests and planet ecology.

 

Rainforest Endangered Species Project by Linda Whitmore 

http://sun2.lib.uci.edu/SEP/CTS/Rforest.html

Students will research a rainforest endangered species animal. They will prepare a formal research paper, a three dimensional model of their animal, and an oral presentation.

 

Teachers Guide for Lesson Plans at Kids for Trees 

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/tree_kit/teacher/index.html

This guide exactly matches the 'Student's Guide at Kids for Trees' (Above).

 

Ten Activities to Do With Youth and Trees (Grade K-6) 

http://www.treesaremyfriends.org/tenactivities.htm

Here are some project ideas that can be used with young kids to investigate trees and nature.

 

Trees and Forests Lessons and Activities (Lin and Don Donn, Keeping Our Earth Green) 

http://members.aol.com/donnandlee/Green.html#FORESTS

This is a links-site to several good lesson plans.

Another Lesson-links Page:

2) Temperate Forests Theme Page at Community Learning Network http://www.cln.org/themes/temperate_forests.html

 

A Tree is Nice by Linda Keeling (Pre-K - K) 

http://www.challenge.state.la.us/k12act/data/tree.html

This lesson includes the purpose of trees, Arbor Day, and the use of creative movements to act out an action rhyme

 

acid rain	deciduous	biomass	branches	decay	timber
coniferous	biome	rainforest	tree	broad-leaf	bark
woodworking	nut	fruit	forest	woodland	underbrush
logging	leaves	trunk	canopy	bush	conservation
growth ring	sapwood	lumber	forest ranger	cones	wood
humus	Arbor Day	roots	pruning	needles	fire
girdling	planting	softwoods	hardwoods	fall color	biodiversity