OVERVIEW
A forest is more than a group of trees — it plays a vital role in the environment and provides valuable products used every day.
LEVELS
Grades 4-5
SUBJECTS
Science
Social
Studies
Math
Language
Arts
Visual Arts
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CONCEPTS
Forests contain numerous habitats
that support diverse populations of organisms.
Resource management helps societies meet the needs of
a growing human population.
Ecosystems change over time through patterns of growth
and succession.
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SKILLS
Analyzing
Discussing
Data Gathering
Identifying Relationships and
Patterns
Interpreting
Observing
Organizing Information
Representing
Researching
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DISCUSSION AND STUDY TOPICS
Forest management practices
help maintain trees and can be used in the context of many different
areas of learning. Here are some suggestions:
| Science |
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What are the components of a healthy forest? What role do elements such as sun, water, soil and atmosphere play with forests? How do areas of the forest, such as young, old or streamside, differ from each other? Have students create a mural using pictures from magazines or their own drawings to show different parts of the forest. (class presentation, research project, art project) |
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Ask
students to write up an "interview" with a tree
or write a story from a tree’s perspective. In the
interview or story, the tree should reveal how different
plants and animals depend on it and how they affect it.
(research project, essay topic) |
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Compare
the school grounds with a local forest. How are they similar?
How are they different? (essay topic, class presentation,
research project) |
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Choose an area of your schoolyard
to study and observe for an extended time. Ask students
to keep a written journal, drawings or photographs of
the area on a regular basis. How does the area change
over time? How does the plant life change from season
to season? Animal life? (essay topic, class activity,
art project, class presentation) |
| Social Studies |
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Discuss the different uses of a forest: harvesting timber for wood and paper products, wilderness preserves, recreation and other uses. Assign different costs and profits for these different activities. Tell students that they’ve been given the job of managing a piece of forestland donated to your community and their goal is to find the best balance between generating income, maintaining and enhancing plant and animal species, and visitor enjoyment. Have students map out a management plan for their "ideal" forest and calculate the cost or profit of each activity. (class activity, class presentation, research project |
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Have students create a collage illustrating people’s dependence on forests. It can include pictures of forests, forest products, people using forests and forest products, and people working in forests. (research project, art project, class presentation) |
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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