UNIT OVERVIEW:
Hey students!
In this unit you will learn about trees as individual plants but also as part of a forest ecosystem! By examining local species, you will learn to recognize the characteristics of different trees and develop skill in describing and interpreting the structural features of trees. As part of this investigation you will learn about a broad range of living things found on, under, and around trees and study the complex interaction between trees and the larger environment. Finally, in examining human uses of forests, you will become aware of a broad range of environmental issues and develop an awareness of the need for responsible use.
SLO's:
SLO #1: I can identify reasons why trees and forests are valued. I can tell you that forests serve as habitat for a variety of living things and are important to human needs for recreation, for raw materials and for a life-supporting environment.
SLO #2: I can describe kinds of plants and animals found living on, under and among trees and I can tell you how trees affect and are affected by those living things.
SLO #3: I can describe the role of trees in the nutrient cycle and in the production of oxygen.
SLO #4: I can identify general characteristics that distinguish trees from other plants, and I can tell you about characteristics that distinguish deciduous trees from coniferous trees.
SLO #5: I can identify characteristics of at least four trees found in the local environment. I can talk about
at least two different deciduous trees and two different coniferous trees native to Alberta (spruce, birch, poplar, pine) as well as cultivated species, such as elm and crab apple.
SLO #6: I can describe and classify leaf shapes, leaf arrangements, branching patterns and the overall form of a tree.
SLO #7: I can interpret the growth pattern of a young tree! I can look at the rings on its cookie and see not only a year’s growth, but also recognize differences in environmental conditions that affect a tree’s growth and pick out scars and evidence of those conditions on the cookie.
SLO #8: I can identify human uses of forests, and I can compare how we use trees today to how they were used long time ago.
SLO # 9: I can identify things people do that help the forest or that threaten the existence of the forest.
SLO #10: I can identify an issue regarding forest use, I can identify different perspectives on that issue, and I can identify actions that might be taken.
NOTES:
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS:
POD CASTS:
IMAGES and MEDIA:
