Continuing the Tree’s Life Cycle

Part of the "Rotting Away" Collection

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Goal

Students will learn about the life cycle of the tree and its rotting process after death.

Estimated Time

30 Minutes

Setting Required

Inside

Standards

  • S2L1b. Students will relate seasonal changes to observations of how a tree changes throughout a school year.
  • S2L1d. Students will identify fungi as living organisms.
  • S2E3a. Students will recognize the effects that occur in a specific area caused by weather, plants, animals, and/or people.

Materials

  • A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer

Procedures

  1. Review what students learned in the Adopt a Plant lesson about the tree life cycle.
  2. Explain to students that the tree life cycle actually continues to the death (and rotting) of the tree to feed the soil for a new tree to grow.
  3. Read “A Log’s Life” and illustrate the rest of the tree’s life cycle.
    Pg 1-6       Tree
    Pg 7-12      Log
    Pg 13-20   Rotting Log
    Pg 21-24   Soil
    Pg 25-26  Seedling
    Pg 27-28  Tree