Canadian Heritage

Learning Scenarios

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General information

Title: Tree varieties
Theme: Nurseries
Teaching level: Primary
Discipline: Social Science

General learning results:
- Organization of a society on its territory

- Changes in the organization of the society on its territory

- Diversity of societies on their territory

Transdisciplinary learning results:
- Communication
- Use of ICT
- Critical and creative thinking
- Knowledge, skills, and attitudes
- Culture and heritage
- Problem solving

Specific learning results:
Organization: Describe basic characteristics of the natural environment of our region.

Changes: List and compare important changes that occurred to our natural environment over the years.

Diversity: Identify similarities and differences between our region and other regions of the world.

Technical skills and education to citizenship:
- Point out the favorable characteristics and the weaknesses of our region.
- Illustrate on a simple map the basic characteristics of the natural environment of our region.
- On a map, locate other areas of the world.

Teaching preparation

Proposed task:
The teacher looks back on the various species of trees harvested by the lumbermen in the forest to develop the students’ awareness of the different species of wood (leafy, evergreen) found in the forest. Student can research those varieties on the Internet.

Afterwards, the teacher can organize a field trip to strengthen the knowledge.

Interdisciplinarity:
- English
- Natural Science

Materials:
Internet Web site : www.toucherdubois.ca

Other site available :

http://www.gnb.ca/0171/10/0171100001-f.asp

Resource person(s):
A forest ranger or forest engineer able to describe the various species of trees found in the regional forests.

Learning preparation

Proposed approach:
- Using pictures found on the www.toucherdubois.ca site the teacher reviews the various wood harvesting techniques, the various uses of lumber and the reasons why conservation measures for the protection of forest resources are important.

- The teacher asks student to name the different species of trees that they know of and that exist in our regional forests. Do a brainstorming activity on the facts gathered using a graphic organizer.

- The teacher demonstrates to the students that trees are either of leafy or evergreen types. Afterwards, the teacher asks students to classify a random list of tree species into those two categories (leafy trees and evergreen trees).

- The students research Internet to find information on the trees identified in the brainstorming session to find out which trees are growing in our forests. They also add more species of trees not identified in the exploratory activity.

- Following the research activities, findings are summarized in a common session.

Objectivation:
- Do you remember what you learned about the tree felling (harvesting) operations that we studied previously?
- What are the advantages of cutting trees in our forests?
- What can we do to maintain or improve the natural resources of our forests?

- What species of trees exist in our forests?
- What industries benefit from the forest resources?
- Did all the trees we researched exist in our forests?
- What other species did you discover in your research?
- How can those trees be classified?

Learning realisation

Proposed approach:
- The teacher can plan a field trip to an experimental forest to develop awareness about the beauty of our natural forest resource and the various species of trees that exist in our forests.

- To provide the resource person with an information kit (a forest guide), suggestions of topics to be discussed during the visit in class.
- What types of trees exist in the forests of our region?
- What types of trees are harvested by lumbermen?
- What usages are made of the trees cut in our forests?
- Give other advantages of cutting trees? (economic, environmental)
- What different industries benefit from the forest resources?
- Why are certain trees not cut or used?
- How old are trees that are being haevested?
- What is happening after a section of the forest has been cut?
- Are the trees being cut replaced by the same species?

Objectivation:
Use the questions given to the resources person to prepare the students to inquire on the topic that will be discussed by the guest during the visit in class.

Learning integration

Proposed approach:
- Discussion on what was learned during the field trip to the experimental forest.
- Draw a tree of one of the two categories (evergreen and leafy) that they liked the most during the field trip.
- Each student presents, in class, his/her drawing and explains the reasons for their choice.
- Name other regions where the same trees grow.

Diversity:
- Show a map of the world and discuss with the group what types of trees exist in other parts of the world.
- In groups of two, students choose a country in which they are interested.
- Each group of two students conducts a research on the Internet about the species of trees found in the selected country.

Objectivation:
- What did you learn during the field trip to the experimental forest?
- Are those trees found only in our forests? Where else can those trees be found?

- Do you think that the same trees exist everywhere in the world?