Using Your Wildlife Feature
Trees, Hedges, Woodland
Activities and Links to the National Curriculum
English
 En1 Speaking and listening - Trust games in woods, (eg blindfolded listening to and carrying out oral
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instructions). Rainforest debates. Listening to, and performing poems about trees. Retelling tradition
tales.
En2 Reading - Including reading for information (eg planting and care instructions), investigating a
range of texts and literature including poetry.
En2 Writing - Including writing for a range of purposes – sense poems, non-chronological
information boards about particular types of trees. Descriptive writing (eg story settings). Persuasive
writing (eg To encourage the planting of trees)
Mathematics
 Ma2 – Number and algebra - Opportunities for counting trees, leaves, seeds. Patterns and sequences
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when planning planting schemes. Estimating heights and girth. Ratios of tree types. Calculating and
problem solving in real life contexts (eg costings of planting schemes).
Ma3 – Shape, space and measures – measuring (eg girth and height of trees), investigate shape,
area, perimeter and symmetry in leaves. Compass points, position, angles, rotation.
Ma4 – Handling data – process, represent and interpret data, from and about the trees (eg recording
heights and sizes of trees, leaves and fruits using appropriate graphs and recording information
about tree inhabitants.) Collect and interpret data about mini-beasts living in the trees and in leaf
litter. Compare wildlife in native and introduced species.
Science
 Sc1 – Scientific enquiry – Making predictions, observations and measurements and communicate
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findings appropriately. (eg How environment affects tree growth, which trees provide the best
habitats for wildlife, how trees affect the environment.)
Sc2 – Life Processes and Living Things – Green plants – Learning about trees, their structures, how
they produce food by photosynthesis, grow, breathe and reproduce. The effect of light, air, water
and temperature on tree growth. Looking at the life cycles of trees including pollination and seed
dispersal.
Sc2 – Variation and Classification – Look at a variety of trees and creatures which live on them to
make and use classification keys.(eg twigs, seeds, birds, mini-beasts)
Sc2 – Living things in their environment – The role of the trees in the food chain. Comparison of
trees growing in different environments. Look what a trees does for the environment it is growing in.
Sc4 – Physical Processes – Forces and motion – Seed dispersal (eg sycamore keys)
Sc4 –The earth and beyond – Seasonal change, (eg twigs in Spring, shedding leaves in Autumn)
Design and technology
 Communicating ideas – Shelters - Working in groups to make dens.
 Knowledge and understanding of materials – Den building.
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Make musical instruments which hang from trees.
History
 Local history study - Investigate ancient trees in the locality and stories associated with them
 Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Tudors, Victorians – The way in which trees were used in different
eras (eg Ship and house building in Tudor studies).
Geography
 Enquiry and skills – Draw scale maps and plans of wooded area. Use atlases, globes and maps to
look at forests in different parts of the world. Describe places and say why they might change.
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Understanding environmental change – The reason for, and the results of deforestation.
Art and design
 Breadth of study - Looking at the way different artists from different eras have portrayed trees.
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Many opportunities for observational drawing, colour mixing, painting, sculpture and printing.
Trees mobiles
Make Green Man faces on trunk using clay, leaves, feathers etc.
Make dream catchers between branches and trees.
Bark and leaf rubbings
Decorating trees and links to past
Useful links with lots of ideas and activities
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
www.treeforall.org.uk
www.teachingtrees.org.uk
http://www.countrysidefoundation.org.uk/
http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/play/quiz/leaves
http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/puzzles_anagrams.htm
http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/children.html
http://www.lookoutscout.co.uk/
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythfolk/
http://www.field-studies-council.org/
Derbyshire
Wildlife Trust
Tree
Recording Sheet
Derbyshire
Wildlife Trust
Tree Identification Key
TREE TRAIL - HOW HIGH?
T4
ACTIVITY
Equipment:
Keystage: 2
There are several ways to measure the height of
a tree. If you have a clinometer you should use
that. If you do not, then the easiest is the pencil
method.
1. Pencils
2. Plastic measuring tapes
(10m)
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ACTIVITY MAY BE VERY HARD ON
SOME SITES DUE TO UNDULATING GROUND; SAFETY ISSUES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
Activity
1. Choose a large tree. Try to find one that
you can see the top and the bottom of
clearly.
2. Hold a pencil at arms length with the bottom
level with the base of the tree trunk, and the
top level with the tree top. (You may have
to move closer or further away.)
3. Keeping the pencil in place, turn the pencil
horizontally (on its side, keeping
one end level with the base of the tree trunk). Ask a friend to stand where the other end of the
pencil end points (level with the tree).
4. The distance between the trunk and your friend will be the height of the tree (B).
Extensions
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Find the age of the tree- Activity T8 - How Wide? How Old?
Do this for several trees and investigate whether the trees' heights correlate with
their ages.
 Which type of trees are the tallest/smallest for their age?
Skills:
Key Words:
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Maths
Measuring
Team work
Recording
Investigation
Horizontally
Distance
Height
Clinometer
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