Welcome to the home of Georgia's Arbor Day!
Teacher Resources
Bring fun into learning about Arbor Day at school and at home.
The Georgia Trail of Trees - Tim Womick, known to many as the modern-day Johnny Appleseed and often referred to as simply “the tree guy,” will be performing his Trail of Trees at elementary, middle and high school Arbor Day celebrations throughout the state during the week leading up to Georgia's Arbor Day. For more information or to inquire about a Trail of Trees performance, contact Joan Scales at 678-476-6226.
Key Points for Teachers to Know
Arbor Day presents an annual opportunity for Georgia 's communities to reach across barriers of age, income, geography, culture, and politics to learn about the benefits of trees and to work at improving the state's tree population. Teachers and students have always been important to Arbor Day. In fact, if you polled people on the street about their thoughts of Arbor Day, most will probably recall their fun school yard moments of planting trees. With these resources, your students will be able to go home and teach their families about the value of healthy trees. They can even direct their parents to the Georgia Forestry Commission Web pages to plant trees in their yards and join neighborhood public tree events.
To get you started, the major issue points for students to learn about healthy trees are:
- Georgia grows trees for two reasons. Rural trees are managed through sustainable forestry to create one of Georgia 's greatest commercial industries - wood and wood products people need in daily life. In our towns and cities, trees are grown and cared for to provide economic, environmental, and social values for everyone.
- Approximately 50 acres of forested land is lost each day in Georgia 's urban environments because of rapid land development. While development meets the needs of a growing city, maintaining trees and their health is even more important because of the economic, environmental, health and social values trees bring to daily life.
- The health of new and existing trees is dependent on elected officials, businesses, and residents working together to create and enforce best practices for tree maintenance, local tree ordinances, and seeking advice from experts within Georgia's tree community.
- Urban residents benefit from trees in savings on utility bills, increased property values, cleaner water and air, and environments that discourage crime and enhance the learning capabilities of children. Business thrives in tree-lined districts, which attracts more business and adds to the economic vitality of the region.
- Many community values are dependent on the health of our trees. The concern for their health is everyone's responsibility. Everyone needs to take a leadership role in increasing funding and programs for parks, trees, and greenspace.
It's your urban forest, learn it, grow it, maintain it, enjoy it.
Trees and Subject Matter - No matter what subject, Arbor Day can be celebrated.
Science
- Study the ecosystem of one particular tree.
- Learn to identify trees in your community by using a tree key or having students create a tree key in class.
- Take a nature walk to identify trees.
- Study the structure of a tree, how it functions and benefits a tree provides.
Social Studies
- Learn about the history of Arbor Day.
- Study the importance of trees in different cultures.
- Correlate the history of the United States or your community to one tree's growth rings.
Math
- Learn how to measure a tree's height, crown spread and diameter.
- Have younger children count the rings on a tree stump.
- Look for a pattern of numbers in nature.
Art
- Participate in The National Arbor Day Foundation's National Poster Contest (fifth grade).
- Collect leaves, put tempera paint on them, and make leaf prints.
- Do bark rubbings and have students trade rubbings to see if they can identify each other's trees.
- Draw pictures, posters, murals or stamps.
- Design program handouts for a school tree planting program.
Physical Education
- Have students identify trees by their shapes while outside.
English
- Write an Arbor Day poem, story or song and perform it for the class/school.
- Have each student write a description of a tree found on the school grounds; then see if other students can find it using the description.
- Have students write letters to community tree planters, thanking them for their efforts.
- Share famous tree quotes
Home Economics
- Find out about spices and other foods and learn about the trees that produce them.
Drama
- Produce a play recreating the history of Arbor Day. Invite older residents in the community to attend, so they can share past Arbor Day stories with the school.
Classroom and School-wide Activities
- Hold an art or essay contest judged by teachers, the PTA, and/or local garden clubs. Emphasize content, original thought, uniqueness, and creative effort. Topics may include: What It's Like to be a Tree, A Tree's Role in the Environment, A View from the Top of a Tree, How Trees Help Save Energy, Who Should Plant Trees and Who Depends on Trees.
- Play "Tree Jeopardy" or "Tree-vial Pursuit," and see which class or group of students can answer the most tree-related questions.
- Plant trees on the school grounds through Making the Shade and learn how to maintain them. Ask the principal to make a Proclamation for the school and display the Proclamation in the main hallway.
- Participate in a community Arbor Day celebration as a field trip.
- Hold a "Read-In" at the library and have all the tree books - both fiction and nonfiction - on display to increase awareness of the tree resources available at school.
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