Trees and Forests

Originally published November 14th

Hello everyone,

We have been doing some beautiful learning about trees. There are so many around us, and we have so much in common. It takes some examination to understand that though, because they live on such different time scales as us. Last week we read ABCedar; an Alphabet of Trees, and we looked for tree names with the same letters that we have in our names. We practiced making our letters out of sticks. Then we read a book on Tuesday that built on our knowledge of tree bodies and helped us draw parallels between ourselves and trees. Here is the list that the children brainstormed together:

Ways that we are like trees:

-we both grow and change

-we both have different colored bark/skin

-we both have different colored leaves/hair

-we stand up on our feet, they stand up on our roots

-we both have blood and sap running in our bodies

-we both have bones and heartwood holding us up

-we both sleep and rest

-we both reach up with arms and branches

-we both have trunks in the middle of our bodies

-we both breathe

-we both drink

-we both live near our families and work together with our friends and neighbors

Ways that we are different from trees:

-we have eyes and faces and can see, and they can't

-we move around, and they don't

-we pee and poop, and they don't

-we are predators, we eat other things, and they make their own food

-we are noisy

-we have pets

I thought that this was really not a bad list! It sums it up quite well on their level.

Then on Wednesday we read an introductory book to forests, called A Tree in the Ancient Forest, and we traced the connections through a forest food web. Next week we will talk about forests.

Get ready for some damp and chilly weather, particularly on Monday and Tuesday. I know all the mountain dwellers have snow already, but it hasn't hit the valley yet. Maybe a little tomorrow though!

Stay safe and have a lovely week welcoming the winter weather!

May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be peaceful, may you be filled with joy!

Jessica