University of Maine Cooperative Extension   4-H Earth Connections "Creating Sustainable Communities for the 21st Century"
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AGE LEVEL = 9-11 (8-12) DURATION = 45-60 min. LEARNING STATION = Forest, School/Park RELATED ACTIVITY = → Adopt-A-Tree WHEN =

UNDERSTANDING: Trees have unique physical characteristics that make them individuals, even when compared to others of the same species.

MATERIALS:

• A blindfold for each participant (see Activity A)

• Paper and crayons

• Clipboards (Optional - see Activity A)

PREPARATION: Find a location where there are several trees near each other and where the participants can be led safely while blindfolded. You might want to review the role of plants in the Leader’s Guide.

LESSON:

Warm-up: In a sharing circle, ask the children how they could tell if someone walking down the street was someone they knew. Develop a list of clues that enable people to identify each other. How might they be able to identify an individual tree? Tell them that they are going to make new friends, the trees, and will learn to tell trees apart.

Activity: Explain that you will blindfold them, and lead them to a tree, using a zig-zag route. After all the children are at their trees, ask the following questions. “Can you give your tree a hug? What neighbors does it have? Are there any holes or cracks in your tree? How high up is the first branch? Is the ground by the tree grassy, rocky, bare or a combination? Is there anything growing on the tree’s bark? What does the tree smell like? Are there signs of an animal’s visit?”

Wrap-up: Zig-zag them back into a circle. Remove the blindfolds and ask them to find their trees. Then ask them to point out specific parts of their tree that they noticed while blindfolded. (For those who have trouble finding their tree, repeat the activity questions.) When all the trees have been identified, go on a tour and examine trees for fire scars, woodpecker holes, etc. This part of the activity will allow you to share much about trees.

OPTIONS AND FURTHER EXPLORATIONS:

1. This activity also works in pairs with one leading and the other blindfolded.

2. Before the tree search, give each child a piece of paper and some crayons to draw his/her tree with. Encourage them to be as specific as possible, including lichen, fungus or moss.

3. Make bark rubbings of the trees.

4. This activity is a good lead-in to lessons on tree growth and identification, forest communities and so on.

5. Encourage tree planting as a group or individually (make new friends!).