Third Grade Tree Unit Content Outline

I. First Lesson Plan: Tree Unit Introduction Conceptual Development: a. The students will use their prior knowledge about trees to figure out a set of riddles that will be read to them in a read-aloud setting. b. Students will brainstorm different facts that they already know about trees and new facts that they would like to learn by using KW-L charts. c. The class will work together and share their prior knowledge about trees by discussing habitat, how animals use trees, how people use trees and what people and trees have in common. d. Students will learn new specific facts about trees through a class read-aloud and discuss and add to the list on the board. Sequential Development: a. This lesson will be done first to get the students started on thinking about trees and to spark their interest in the subject matter. b. The first lesson plan is an important first lesson because it helps students review prior knowledge, learn some new facts from their peers and it will act as an assessment for the teacher to see where students are in their tree knowledge and what areas may need to be included in later lessons. II. Second Lesson Plan: Leaf Exploration Conceptual Development: a. Students will learn how to sequence by characteristics such as size, shape, color, smell and width. b. Students will know the two main groups that scientists classify leaves as coniferous and deciduous. c. This lesson will help children understand how scientific classification works and how to classify leaves into specific categories by looking at them. d. Students will learn why only some trees lose their leaves in the fall and which type of trees they are. Sequential Development: a. This lesson will be done second because leaves make a good simple introduction to more complicated information about trees such as tree categories and seeds. b. This lesson is important because it helps students understand the important role that leaves play in the life of a tree and why

deciduous trees loose their leaves in the fall but coniferous trees do not. III. Third Lesson Plan: Comparing Deciduous and Coniferous Trees Conceptual Development: a. Students will learn specific traits of deciduous and coniferous trees and be able to place specific tree facts under each category. b. The children will be able to categorize trees into these categories. c. The students will be able to use specific vocabulary to describe the different types of trees. Sequential Development: a. This lesson will follow the leaf lesson because it helps children understand why some trees have various physical characteristics and how those characteristics play an important part in the trees survival. b. This lesson is important because it teaches children the importance and purpose of scientific classification and how the two types of trees differ from one another. IV. Lesson Four: Investigating Tree Seeds Conceptual Development: a. Students will learn how trees develop from seeds. b. This lesson will teach children that all trees do not have the same seeds, that there are many different forms of seeds for different types of trees. c. This lesson will help students learn the different variables that are necessary for a seed to grow into a tree. d. Students will acknowledge the different oppositions that seeds must avoid to be able to grow. Sequential Development: a. This lesson will follow the different tree types because it illustrates again how different trees can be and at the same time have the same needs. It also acts as a good preview for the tree life cycle lesson. b. This lesson is important for students to learn because it ties in the fact that trees are plants and shows how trees start off as seeds. V. Lesson Five: Life Cycle of Trees Conceptual Development: a. Students will learn about the life cycle of a tree; the germination of the seed, how the seed grows, how the tree itself grows bigger and stronger each year and how the tree dies. b. The students will be able to put the tree life cycle in order on their own from start to finish. Sequential Development:

a. The students first need to learn about how trees come into existence before they can understand and appreciate the parts of a tree and their function. b. This lesson is important because it shows children how a tree has a similar life cycle to other plants and it will help the students understand how a seed develops into a tree. VI. Lesson Six: Tree Structure Conceptual Development: a. Students will learn about the basic parts of the tree and be able to label them. b. This lesson will teach the students the basic jobs of each tree part. c. The students will be able to name the importance of each part toward the tree. Sequential Development: a. This lesson is placed sixth because it acts as an overview of trees and tree structure before looking over the detailed importance of specific tree parts. b. This is an important lesson because it reviews the different parts of the tree that are all ready familiar to the students but in a more scientific manner by giving scientific names to each part and by going over their functions. VII. Lesson Seven: Bark Function Conceptual Development: a. This lesson will teach the children how bark is formed around the trunks of trees. b. Students will learn the functions that bark plays for the tree. c. Students will learn about the different layers of a tree trunk that lead outward to the bark. Sequential Development: a. This lesson will follow the tree structure lesson because it goes into specific details of tree bark that is vital for understanding trees. b. This lesson is important because it teaches children that even something as simple looking as bark plays an important role towards the survival of a tree. VIII. Lesson Eight: Root Function Conceptual Development: a. This lesson will teach students how roots form. b. Students will learn how roots provide water and nutrients throughout the tree. c. The children will learn how roots help the tree from being blown over from the wind.

Sequential Development: a. This lesson will be part of three intense lessons that teach students specific qualities and complicated traits that need a longer period of time to go over and learn. b. This lesson is important because it teaches students the vital role that roots play in the life of a tree.

IX. Lesson Nine: How Do Trees Make Their Own Food? (Intro to photosynthesis) Conceptual Development: a. This lesson will teach students just how trees use their leaves to create sugar sap (food) that they learned about in lesson two. b. Students will learn the basics of photosynthesis and how this process creates food for a tree. c. Students will begin tying in the different tree parts and their function in aiding in photosynthesis. Sequential Development: a. This is the last lesson because it is the most complicated lesson in the unit and requires background knowledge on trees and an ample amount of time to explain. b. This lesson is important because students need to learn about the basics of photosynthesis for future scientific lessons and to fully understand how plants get food and energy from the sun. X. Lesson Ten: Jeopardy Wrap Up Conceptual Development: a. This lesson will act as a wrap up, pulling together the students previous knowledge and new knowledge from the unit. b. Students will be able to answer questions on photosynthesis, tree parts, and root function, bark function, and questions on leaves and the two major categories of trees. c. Students will be able to answer questions on vital vocabulary terms from the unit. Sequential Development: a. This wrap up will be the very last part of the unit because it goes over all of the material that will be presented in the unit. b. This lesson is important because it ties together all of the information that the students have been learning during the course of the unit and act as a review before the test.