OVERVIEW
Forestry experts, called foresters, manage the forest for its best use. In order to understand the best way to manage the forest, they use many different tools to measure the trees.
LEVELS
Grades 4-5
SUBJECTS
Science
Social
Studies
Language Arts
Math |
CONCEPTS
Different careers require different
skills and training.
Managing resources requires analysis and planning.
Special tools play an important role in some resource
management.
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SKILLS
Analyzing
Comparing
Contrasting
Discussing
Data Gathering
Interpreting
Observing
Researching |
DISCUSSION AND STUDY TOPICS
The measurement
tools of the forester can be used in the context of many different
areas of learning. Here are some suggestions:
| Science |
| |
What
types of things are measured? Why are they measured? Are
different things measured in different ways? Why? What
do you learn from taking measurements? (class discussion) |
|
|
In early times, people used their bodies (hands,
feet, fingers) to take measurements. Have students measure
their desks with different parts of their bodies. Then
have them use a ruler. Did everyone’s measurements
come out the same? Why or why not? How accurate were the
measurements? (class experiment, class discussion) |
| |
Why is it important for foresters to measure a tree at the same height every time (Diameter at Breast Height)? How would the measurement be different if the tree was measured at 1 foot? 2 feet? Could you compare the size of two trees if they were measured at different heights? What other things are measured according to strict standards? (research project, class experiment, class discussion) |
| Social Studies
|
| |
Some trees are very old and
played an important role in history. Have students research
famous trees in history. Are there any famous old trees
in your town or city? (research project, essay topic,
class discussion) |
|
|
Have students draw "tree
rings" on a paper plate to represent their own age.
They can use crayons or labels to identify the age at
which important events took place in their lives such
as when they were born or when they started school. (art
project, essay topic) |
|
*Note: Flag poles, the school building,
or other tall structures can be used as an alternative
to trees in the activity section of The Forester’s
Job. |
|
| |
Which of the following statements describe the forester’s
job or tools used in the forest? Refer to "The Forester’s
Job" for help with the answers. You will use each of these words
or phrases once:
bristlecone pine • clinometer • compass •
cruising vest • data recorder • dibble • forest
• harvest • increment borer • regeneration
• soil sampler • tally book • tape measure
• timber cruise • tree rings
1. A _________________________ is used to test the quality of
the dirt where trees grow.
2. Foresters used to record tree measurements in a ___________________
so they could total up the information later.
3. The bright orange _________________________ helps people
easily identify foresters in the woods.
4. You don’t have to be a forester to use a _________________________
to help find your way around.
5. _________________________ is the process resulting from foresters
planting and growing new trees.
6. When planting seedlings, foresters use a _________________________
to dig a hole in the ground.
7. The main part of a forester's day is spent in the forest on
a _________________________ to measure and sample trees in a
stand.
8. Today, foresters use a _________________________ or hand-held
computers to summarize information about the forest and its
resources.
9. A 4,900-year-old _________________________, found on Wheeler
Peak in Nevada, is the oldest living tree.
10. The _________________________ can be used to see how old
and healthy a tree is without cutting it down.
11. Foresters decide when to _______________________ trees so
they can be used to make paper or building products.
12. Using geometry and a _________________________, foresters
can determine the height of a tree.
13. _________________________ provide clues about the climate
or weather of an area over time where trees grow.
14. A complex natural community that supports plant and animal
life is called a _________________________.
15. To measure the diameter of a tree, a forester uses a _________________________.
Answers to Tree Tools Fill in
the Blank: 1. soil sampler 2. tally book 3.
cruising vest 4. compass 5. regeneration 6. dibble 7. timber
cruise 8. data recorder 9. bristlecone pine 10. increment borer
11. harvest 12. clinometer 13. tree rings 14. forest 15. tape
measure
In addition to providing beauty and recreation, forests supply raw materials to help meet society’s needs for housing, paper, containers and thousands of other products used by consumers every day. As one of the country’s leading forest products providers, Georgia-Pacific Corporation has a long-term interest in and commitment to the health of our nation’s forests. |
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