Trees

Students will:

• Know about trees and forests.

• Know kinds of trees in local area. (K-6)

• Know the parts of a tree. (K-3)

• Know growing cycle of the tree. (4-6)

• Know about the process of natural reforestation. (5-6)

• Know how to protect trees, and conserve and manage forests. (K-6)

• Know how trees enable animals to survive. (K-6)

• Recognize various land characteristics based on the kind of trees growing in places (e.g. Jack pine grows in sandy soil, cranberries can be found where spruce trees grow, etc). (5-6)

• Dene beliefs about plants, including trees, led to conservation practices. (4-6)

  • Because trees breathe, we breathe.

  • Because spruce trees have memories, we cannot cut down more than we need.

  • When we take something from the land, the land must be paid.

• Know how the Dene use trees.

• Know the qualities and uses of different kinds of trees (see attached information). (K-3)

• Know when and how to harvest depending on purpose of the wood: effect of season on condition of the wood. (e.g. In the spring, wood tends to be waterlogged. In the spring, when the sap begins to run, the wood tends to be pliable. After a tree loses all of its needles and falls over, it becomes good firewood). (4-6)

• Know that the birch is considered the most useful of trees: snowshoe frames, baskets, syrup, firewood, stems for scraping hides, etc. (K-4)

• Be aware of and appreciate the traditional technology of the Dene which involved use of trees. (4-6)

• Be able to work with parts of trees to make simple objects, both traditional and contemporary. (K-6)

• Be able to work with parts of trees to create crafts or art. (K-6)

Experiences:

• Identify trees while out in the bush. (K-6)

• Recognize animal homes in trees. (K-6)

• Look for and identify bear markings on trees that indicate the presence of bear dens. (4-6)

• Look for and identify other animal markings on trees. (4-6)

• Grow seedlings to plant. (K-6)

• Plant trees to reforest. (K-6)

• Identify Dene beliefs that led to conservation practices. (4-6)

• Collect kindling and start a fire. (K-3)

• Collect spruce boughs and weave a floor. (K-4)

• Make willow whistles. (K-3)

• Identify and collect samples of wood for fires, smoking, cooking, making snowshoes, etc. (3-6)

• Do birchbark chewing art. (4-6)

• Make tools with wood, or baskets. (4-6)

• Draw sap, gather spruce gum and use them as the Dene traditionally used them (e.g. gum rolling). (K-6)

• Gather roots and make a fishing net. (5-6)

• Identify parts used for medicinal purposes. (5-6)

• Identify trees used to provide temporary shelter and tipis. (4-6)

• Make a beading loom with a willow branch. (3-6)

• After all other experiences and activities about trees have been completed, have students sit amongst the trees and think about what the trees mean to the Dene. Record the sound of trees and use it to create calm and relaxation in the classroom. (K-6)

• Research beaver dens: what wood is used, where, and how. (K-4)

• Make posters of fire safety rules. (K-4)

• Identify people who work in forestry, and use as resource people. (5-6)

• Research uses of birch fungus and set up a display (burned to chase away bears, traditionally left smoldering so that fires could be started from them, ashes mixed with chewing tobacco). (5-6)

• Organize project to save South American Rainforest where aboriginal people live. (5-6)

• Students collect a display of things made with wood by people in the community (traditional and contemporary things, tools as well as arts and crafts). (K-6)