Forest in a Box – If I Were a Tree
Bring the forest to your classroom with Forest in a Box. Forest in a Box- If I Were a Tree is a comprehensive resource package that provides activities and resources to support teachers to integrate forest education into their classrooms.
If I Were a Tree enables students to understand the role of trees in a forest and their connection and importance to supporting a forest system. The resource package explores trees, forests and how the living and non-living parts of a forest are connected.
Forest in a Box package includes:
- Teacher Guide – Curriculum links, suggested activities and supporting materials
- Teaching Resources – Forest specimens, magnifying glasses, books, songs, forest puppets, Tree Time Tasks and hands on teaching aids
- Professional Learning
Forest in a Box – Design and Make
Integrate STEM in your classroom with Forest in a Box. A wood based resource encouraging students to investigate design and innovation in wood with a hands on construction kit. The resource package considers forest systems, as well as, wood production, design and future perspectives.
Forest in a Box package includes:
- Wood based construction kit
- Forest Education Foundation Excursion
- Teacher Pack – Curriculum links, suggested activities and supporting materials
- Professional Learning
- Students identify the features of living and non-living things.
- Students explore the basic needs of trees, forests and the living things that live among them.
- Students explore the ways living things influence and rely on each other.
- Students examine the parts of a tree/forest and the connections between living and non-living things.
- Students identify how trees/forests can meet the needs of living things.
- Students develop an understanding of the growth and change of a tree.
- Students identify the different ways people use forest products in their daily life.
- Students explore the ways that they can care for forest environments.
EYLF
Children are connected with and contribute to their world – Outcome 2
- Explore relationships with other living and non-living things
- Develop an awareness of the impact of human activity on environments and the interdependence of living things
Children are confident and involved learners – Outcome 4
- Manipulate objects and experiment with cause and effect
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (HASS)
- The natural, managed and constructed features of places, their location, how they change and how they can be cared for
SCIENCE
- Living things have basic needs, including food and water (ACSSU002)
- Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
- Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211)
- Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (ACSSU030)
- Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways (ACSSU032)
- Science involves observing, asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events (ACSHE021/ACSHE034)
- People use science in their daily lives, including when caring for their environment and living things (ACSHE022/ACSHE035)
Technologies
- Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solutions (ACTDEK004)
The Forest in a Box – If I were a Tree is a package of learning, including Professional Learning, Teacher Guide and Support Materials. The package costs $150, with a loan period of 4-5 weeks. Why not take your learning further and also participate in an excursion for $150 per class, with the opportunity to receive a bus subsidy of $100 for schools using external bus hire.
To support the integration of the Forest in a Box – If I Were a Tree package, teachers are provided a Professional Learning experience, outlining the learning outcomes, curriculum links and planning the integration of the kit.
Content includes:
- Introduction the Forest Education Foundation Educational Goals
- Explore environmental education models and how to scaffold forest literacy in the classroom
If I Were a Tree kit introduction
- The learning outcomes and goals
- Connecting the kit to the Tasmanian Forest Literacy Plan – Conceptual framework Questions
- Explore Curriculum links
- The kit – how it works/ suggested activities/ structure
- Integration strategies and approaches (discuss/plan)