In Level B of the Treemendous Science! unit, students will explore trees and collect data to develop understandings about how trees grow, the roles trees play in ecological systems, and the ways in which trees and humans interact.
Performance Expectation
Level B of Treemendous Science! is built on the following Grade 1 Performance Expectation for Environmental Science, included in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
1-ESS-1-2 – Earth’s Place in the Universe: Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Essential Questions
The following essential questions articulate big-picture concepts that allow Level B students to connect knowledge across academic standards, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas:
- How does the amount of sunlight in winter compare with the amount at other times of the year?
- How does the changing amount of sunlight impact trees?
Learner Outcomes
- Students will plan and carry out investigations.
- Students will use investigation-based data to answer questions (or test solutions), beginning with their own prior experiences and advancing to simple investigations (based on fair testing).
- Students will collectively plan and conduct investigations to produce data that serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions.
Science Concepts
Level B activities support the following science concepts, which are derived from NGSS’s crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas, and scientific and engineering practices:
- Patterns in the natural world can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.
- Seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset can be observed, described, and predicted.
- Plants have external parts (e.g., root, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive, grow, and reproduce.
- Organisms respond to external inputs with actions and behaviors that help them survive.
- We can make observations to collect data that can be used to make comparisons.
Assessing Student Learning
The Evaluate tab for Level B includes suggestions for:
- Pre-Assessment, which uses student-generated products from the Engage: Growing Up Green lesson.
- Formative Assessment, which can help you gauge student understanding midway through Level B lessons.
- Final Performance Assessment, which should be conducted at the completion of the lessons, and includes a rubric for assessing student learning.
Getting Ready
Each Level B activity includes a Getting Ready section that describes how to prepare for teaching that activity.
For Level B as a whole, we recommend finding an area with several trees on or near the school grounds that your class can visit over the course of the year. Be sure to check the site for any hazards such as deep holes, sharp objects, or poisonous or irritating plants.
See Literature Connections to find other resources for teaching this level.
Time Considerations
| Lesson | Time |
|---|---|
| Engage: Growing Up Green | Getting Ready: 10 Minutes Class Time: 40 Minutes |
| 1: Adopt A Tree | Getting Ready: 20 Minutes Class Time: 30 Minutes, then ongoing visits throughout the year |
| 2: Signs of Fall | Getting Ready: 10 Minutes Class Time: 40 Minutes |
| 3: Every Tree For Itself | Getting Ready: 10 Minutes Class Time: 40 Minutes |
| 4: Bursting Buds | Getting Ready: 10 Minutes Class Time: Three to four 30-minute intervals spread out from fall or late winter to spring |
Key Vocabulary
You may use the Key Vocabulary: Level B student page to introduce students to the following vocabulary terms or to review or assess their mastery of these terms. Note that the definitions below are geared for students, while the definitions that “pop up” within the activity text online are geared for the teacher.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Branch | A woody part of a tree that grows from the trunk of the tree. |
| Climate | The usual weather in a place over time. |
| Habitat | The place in nature where animals and plants usually live. |
| Leaf bud | The part of a tree or other plant that grows into a leaf. |
| Seedling | A young plant that has grown from a seed. |
| Sunlight | The light that comes from the sun. |
| Weather | How warm, sunny, windy, or wet it is outside. |
PLT Conceptual Framework
| Lesson | Conceptual Framework Connection |
|---|---|
| Engage: Growing Up Green | 1.2 The arrangement of living and nonliving components within a habitat determines the organisms it can support. 2.1 Organisms are interdependent and depend on nonliving components of the Earth. |
| 1: Adopt a Tree | 2.1 Organisms are interdependent and depend on nonliving components of the Earth. 5.3 Ecosystems change over time through patterns of growth and succession. They are also affected by other phenomena such as disease, insects, fire, weather, climate, and human intervention. |
| 2: Signs of Fall | 5.1 Organisms change throughout their lifetimes. Species of organisms change over long periods of time. 5.3 Ecosystems change over time through patterns of growth and succession. They are also affected by other phenomena such as disease, insects, fire, weather, climate, and human intervention. |
| 3: Every Tree for Itself | 1.3 Patterns of variation from region to region in the Earth’s atmosphere, water, soil, climate, and geology create a wide diversity of biological communities. 2.1 Organisms are interdependent and depend on nonliving components of the Earth. 2.2 Altering the environment affects all life forms, including humans, and the interrelationships that link them. |
| 4: Bursting Buds | 4.1 Populations of organisms exhibit variations in size and structure as a result of adaptations to their habitats. 5.3 Ecosystems change over time through patterns of growth and succession. They are also affected by other phenomena such as disease, insects, fire, weather, climate, and human intervention. |
Standards Correlations
See Standards Connections in the Appendices for a list of standards addressed in Treemendous Science! Level B activities.
