Benjamin A. Gorman
Rationale:
The forest of our
nation are
an enormous and necessary natural resource to our future. There is a need to know the role that this resource has played in our history and to become aware of its continuing contribution in our lives. This series of concepts will help the eighth grade, urban student to realize how the forest shapes our lives.
Major Concept:
The urban student with expanded knowledge of forest resources can appreciate its heritage, learn to benefit from it and be willing to pass it on.
Concept One.
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The settlement of colonial America was greatly aided by the abundant and diverse forest, discovered especially in New England.
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Concept Two:
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As America continues to use the land, the value of trees, economically and as an energy source, must be balanced with ecological considerations.
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Concept Three:
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Our forests provide opportunity for employment, inspiration and recreation; even within the city, trees constitute more than street names.
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Instructions:
Each of the three concepts to be covered includes: performance objectives, learning activities, extended assignments and a follow up assignment. Read each concept and performance objective carefully. Then the student
is
to complete the learning activities and the follow up. Some of the work is to be done individually and some will be completed in groups.
The extended assignments may be chosen by the students individually or assigned by the instructor. The instructor decides when they will be due and when the individual project will be shared with the class.
Some of the activities can be assigned as homework and all students should be encouraged to complete at least one of the extended assignments for extra credit. It should be helpful to make a chart of the activities and follow ups
to serve as a checklist for student progress and grading.
A list of texts and their sections relative to the topic are found before the bibliography. Instructors may set concepts and be flexible according to the of the group in selecting activities.
Concept One:
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The settlement of colonial America was greatly aided by the abundant and diverse forest discovered, especially in New England.
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Performance Objectives:
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1. Students will become aware of their perceptions of what a forest is.
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2. Students will learn the names of New England trees and illustrate U.S. forest belts.
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3. Students will identify early American wood forest uses.
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4. Students will research the colonial industries based upon the American forest.
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5. Students will have be opportunity to conduct individual projects.
Activities:
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1. On a sheet of paper, list some ideas (3 to 5) that come to mind when you hear the word “forest”. Using some of your ideas, write a descriptive paragraph on “What is a forest?” Underline the main idea expressed in the paragraph. Share some of the main ideas and put some on the chalkboard for discussion.
2. On Paper, list all the names of trees that you can. Make a common class list, then decide which ones grow
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in Connecticut and can you describe them. Where do the others grow?
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3. Using a dictionary, copy a description of one of the following New England trees; include varieties of species mentioned and any drawings. (may be teacher assigned)
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Elm
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Hickory
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Hornbeam
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Spruce
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Oak
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Tamarack
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Aspen
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Tupelo
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Birch
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Basswood
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Hemlock
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Tulip
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Ash
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Sycamore
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Dogwood
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Cherry
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Pine
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Chestnut
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Maple
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Sweetgum
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Cedar
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Sutternut
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Willow
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Walnut
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Also copy any information retarding the uses of the wood; be prepared to share your information.
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4. On a large piece of paper or on a chalkboard, in the classroom, draw an outline of the U.S. Using colored chalk or crayons, locate the forest belts and make a key.
5 .Read in your textbook any information describing the
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Eastern Woodland Indians and their way of life.
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6. List all the things that the wood. Find a picture in your textbook that might give you some ideas. Share your findings.
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7. Discuss the ways that the forest might have been used by the colonists in early America. Did the any problems?
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8. Copy the following headings:
Inside the home
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Tools
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Food
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Outside/the farm
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List under them as many things as you can that early colonists in America obtained from the forest. Again check your textbook and its pictures for help. What would they have used, if the trees were not available’?
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9. Colonial industries that resulted because of our forests included: lumbering, coopering, sawmilling, shipbuilding, naval stores and potash making. Divide into teams and research one of the industries. Report to the class at a future date.
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10. Suggested be used and why?
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a) For what things can wood/trees only be used and why?
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b) What are some of the substitutes being used instead of wood today and why?
Extended Assignments:
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1. Learn to identify five trees, trace their leaves and label them.
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2. Investigate the making of root beer or the making of a bow and arrow by the Indians; describe it in a paragraph. Make an arrow!
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3. Research early American house building and explain in a report the basic construction.
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4. How did the early colonists clear land of the trees to plant crops? Research the methods and write a report.
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5. Find a picture of an early sawmill and draw/copy it; label the machinery or explain in a paragraph how it worked.
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6. Begin a collection of newspaper or magazine articles on conservation, land, forest or water. Place them in a scrapbook with a title page showing the title, author and source.
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7. Investigate the uses of Witch Hazel and how it is made; write a report.
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8. Find a picture of an early tool that was used on wood; draw it and explain how it was used and what was it used to make.
Follow Up Assessment for Concept One.
Circle the word that does
not
match the first.
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1. Cooper: barrels, staves, tar, container.
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2. Naval masts, tar, turpentine.
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3. Shipbuilding: clapboards, masts, white pine, yardarms.
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4. N.E. forest: hemlock, oak, red maple, Giant Sequoia.
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5. Indian wood products: snowshoes, baskets, maple sugar wheels
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6. Colonial wood products: canisters, cradles, coffins, carts.
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7. Tree uses: furniture, fences, fuel, clothing.
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8. Wood building items: boards, shingles, beams, hinges.
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9. Potash: soap-making, bleaching, food, boiled ashes.
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10. Ct. products: nutmeg, Witch Hazel, Maple Syrup, fuelwood.
Concept Two:
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As America continues to use the land, the value of trees, economically and as an energy source, must be balanced with ecological considerations.
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Performance Objectives:
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1. Students will increase their knowledge of terms related to tree growth and types.
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2. Students will debate the problem of land use and forest preservation.
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3. Students will understand how photosynthesis works.
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4. Students will become aware of the fuel value of firewood.
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5. Students will have the opportunity to conduce individual projects.
Activities:
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1. Using a dictionary, copy the definitions of the following terms:
conservation
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cropland
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ecology
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wilderness
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habitat
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heritage
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2. Place the following information on the chalkboard:
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United States Land Use
32% forest
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8% other (wilderness, desert, marshes)
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23% cropland
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2% recreational land
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34% grazing land
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1% cities
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(source: G. Tyler Miller, Jr.,
Living in the Environment
)
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Discuss: By the year 2000, the needs for cities and recreational land will double. Where will it come from? What will be the What are the alternatives?
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3. Arrange a debate using the following view points:
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a) The land must be developed to its highest and best use to continue human progress; the land is for the taking!
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b) The land must remain as it is in order to maintain the balance of nature which is necessary for all life; the land is to be preserved for the future!
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Discuss alternatives to the points of view. May read the Federal Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act as mentioned in the unit’s narrative section.
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4. Problem: If the state of Connecticut owns 180,534 acres of forest yet 75% of our total forest is owned by private individuals, privately?
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Moat Connecticut owners have less than 100 acres; think about the problem of management.
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5. Using a dictionary or your textbook, copy definitions for the following terms:
coniferous
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bark
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photosynthesis
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deciduous
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cambium
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cellulose
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energy
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sapwood
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heartwood
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6. Refer to handout I, top half. Bring of log into class and determine its age..
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7. Using the list of trees from Activity 3, Concept one, identify the trees as being coniferous or deciduous.
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8. Refer to handout I, bottom half.
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9. Fuelwood to produce energy for industry and heat for homes is increasing in demand. The table below illustrates the fuel values of certain woods. Related questions follow.
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Fuel Values/Efficiency
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Wood
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Avg. Density Lbs./cord
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BTU-million/cord
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Shagbark hickory
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4400
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30.8
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White oak
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4400
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30.8
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Sugar maple
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4100
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29.7
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Red oak
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3900
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27.3
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White ash
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3700
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25.9
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Paper birch
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3400
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23.8
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Douglas fir
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2000
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21.4
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White pine
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2200
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15.8
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(source: C.M. Summers, “The Conversion of Energy,
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Scientific American
, Sept., 1971), 151.)
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Related questions: Circle the answer to make a correct statement.
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1. Hickory produces (more, same, less) BTU’s than birch.
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2. White ash’s density is (more, same, less) than maple.
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3. White oak weighs (same, double, more) than pine.
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4. Hiskory’s BTU’s are (same, double, more) than pine.
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5. Greater fuel value is obtained by burning (fir, ash, oak).
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For experts: One gallon of heating fuel equals 140,000 BTU’s. How many gallons would be needed to equal one cord of shagbark hickery’s BTUs.
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10. The following is an excerpt by an anonymous English poet. Reproduce it on the chalkboard or on paper and complete the exercise that follows.
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Beechwood fires are bright and clean
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If the logs are kept a year.
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Chestnut only good, they say,
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If for long ‘tis laid away.
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But ash new or ash old
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Is fit for queen with crown of gold.
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Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
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Apple wood will scent your room,
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With an incense like perfume.
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Oaken logs, if dry and old,
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Keep away the winter’s cold.
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But ash wet or ash dry
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A king shall warm his slippers by.
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Reprinted by permission from
Heating With Wood
, 1974 by Larry Gay, published by Garden Way Publishing Company.
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Put the name of the wood in the first column, as identified by the poem. Then supply another rhyming word in the last column.
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______
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dry, by,
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______
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-s
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moke, choke,
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______
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say, away,
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______
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room, perfume,
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______
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cold, old,
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Also: How many woods are mentioned? ______ What wood would you burn? ______ Why?
Extended Assignments:
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1. Learn to identify five
more
trees, trace their leaves and label.
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2. Read about and write a biography about Gifford Pinchot or John Muir.
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3. Take some photographs of different trees (6 to 12); mount them, label the names and tell where each is located.
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4. Make a photo essay (6 to 12) of one tree illustrating perspectives.
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5. Using your science book, read about food chains. Draw an illustration that shoes how it works.
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6. Locate and copy a poem about trees; mount it for display. Or write your own poem about trees, leaves or the forest.
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7. Make a mural showing the different kinds of trees
in
the N.E. forest.
Follow Up Assessment for Concept Two.
Circle the word that is out of place in the groupings.
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1. Tree: sapwood, cambium, bark, deciduous.
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2. Tree: coniferous, deciduous, softwood, evergreen.
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3. Photosynthesis: sun, water, CO2, ecology.
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4. Land: forest, conservation, cropland, wilderness.
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5. Energy: wood, sun, fuel, oil.
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Word-wood-problems.
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6. If a Douglas fir is 25 feet tall a half feet every year, how tall will it be when you graduate from high school?
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7. If the forest covers 32%
of the
United States and grazing landcovers 34%, how much is left for other uses7
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8. Our U.S. National Forest has 183 million acres or 17% of the forest and state/local governments own 10% more. What percent is owned by private individuals or timber companies?
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9. If a person needed five cords a year of fuel wood for their home, how many cords would be needed by 800,000 people each year?
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10. If you planted 520 seedling pine trees on one acre, how many could you plant on five and a half acres?
Concept Three:
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Our forests provide opportunity for employment, and recreation; even city, trees constitute more than street names.
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Performance Objectives:
1. Students will become aware of the great variety of wood uses and products.
2. Students will increase their knowledge of outdoor occupations.
3. Students will appreciate the role of trees in an urban setting.
4. Students will have opportunity to conduct individual projects.
Activities:
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1. Read Ogden Nash’s poem, “Song of the Open Road.” Discuss its meaning and accuracy.
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2. “Knock on wood!”
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a) Students are to make a list of items made from wood that are found within their classroom on a sheet of paper.
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b) On the same paper, students are to list items made from wood that are found within their house.
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Have the students share their lists. Have them imagine their lives without the wooden items.
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3. An a class or individually, continue to add to the lists, things made from wood that are seen outside the school.
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Or
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Make a list of wood products that are used in various sports, hobbies or in house construction.
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Or
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Make a list of ways that trees in cities can provide recreation.
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4. Did you know?
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The term “cord” is used to measure pulpwood or logs; it measures 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. A railroad car can carry about 30 cords and a tractor trailer truck can carry 9 to 10 cords which could produce enough pulpwood to make 86,400 grocery bags.
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Problem:
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If you used 4 grocery bags a day, all year long, how many years would it take to use up all 86,400 bags? Now old would you be then?
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The term “boardfeet” is used to measure sawtimber like plywood and lumber; it measures 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch thick which equals one boardfoot. An average truck can carry enough boardfeet to build a single frame house.
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Problem:
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Now many boardfeet are in a sheet of plywood that is 4’ x 8’ x 1/4”?
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5. Using a dictionary, copy the job descriptions for the following:
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Arborist
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Nurseryman
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Forester
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Logger
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Landscaper
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Ranger
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6. Divide the students into teams; have them list all the kinds of jobs that are done mainly outdoors. Set a time limit. Then add to the lists, jobs that are in anyway connected with trees, wood or products of wood. Set a time limit.
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Now have the students, as individuals, pick three occupations that they might be interested in and write the names across the middle of a sheet of paper. Above the job name, list its advantages; below the job name, list its disadvantages.
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Allow sharing the jobs selected and discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
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7. Identify and make a list of trees and shrubs around your home or that are found on the school property. Draw an outline map of the property placing in the building, trees and shrubbery.
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Put some of the drawings on the chalkboard and discuss the placements in terms of visual affect, noise buffers, support for animal life and as aids to energy conservation.
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8. As a group or individually, choose a tree in the neighborhood and make a drawing of it. On the back, describe in sentences a) how the trunk grows, b) how the branches divide, c) describe its bark, leaves and its color, d) measure its trunk’s diameter. Identify the tree and note any damage by insects, disease or by humans.
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9. a list of how trees that grew in cities are damaged. Share your list. Discuss what could be done to prevent damage. Then, as a group, your make believe task is to select trees to plant in your neighborhood, park or streets; make a list of the reasons that would be important for aelecttraea to be planted. Imagine a city without trees!
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10. Compile a list of streets in your city that have the names of trees. Use the city directory in the library, your phone book or a city map.
Extended Assignments:
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1. From the woodshop or a lumber yard, make a collection of wood sizes used in building; take their true measurements.
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2. Investigate the Hitchcock chair and write a description about it and the company, supply a drawing.
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3. Research how paper is made and write a report on the process.
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4. Investigate the harvesting of trees and write a report describing the various equipment used.
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5. Make a collection of pine cones and needles. Identify them.
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6. Write an article about conservation for the school newspaper.
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7. Research James Hillhouse and his contribution to the “Elm City”. and write a report.
Follow Up Assessment for Concept Three.
Write a biography of a tree. Give it a name, an address and physical description; trace its growth and growing problems. Mention people it has met, played with, helped and what was its purpose in life. Decide its death and that result.
Handout 1, for Concept Two, Activity 6 and 8.
Activity 6
(figure available in print format)
Copy the illustration of the cross section of the tree trunk.
Activity 8
(figure available in print format)
This is how a tree grows. The burning of wood, combustion, is the reverse of photosynthesis.