Taking advantage of mild spring weather | |
This winter was certainly an unusual one for our state, with record low snowfalls and record high temperatures throwing off many of the traditions we look forward to in the colder months. But why not take advantage of this year’s early spring to do a little bonus exploratory learning with your elementary students? | |
 |  | As we moved from the winter solstice to this week’s spring equinox, students undoubtedly noticed changes in day length. In these next few months, encourage students to take an even closer look at how sunlight changes. What do they notice about shadows and shade between now and the end of the school year? As the northern hemisphere tilts back toward the sun in springtime, the sun’s rays become more direct, and the sunlight can reach the forest floor more easily. Have students make predictions about how different woodland plants will change this time of year, then record observations to see if their predictions were correct. What plants have green parts emerging first: those in the canopy, or those nearer to the ground? Why might this be? Does this pattern change as we get closer to summer? To help you investigate the layers of the forest more closely, try out LEAF’s Field Enhancement lesson “Studying Forest Layers.” Once leaves fully emerge, help students explore the make-up of the forest with the hands-on lesson “I Can Be a Forester.”
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Maybe your school makes maple syrup in the spring, and this year you had to scramble to get your taps out early so as to not miss the first sap running. What a great opportunity for your students to really learn the “whys” and “hows” of this phenomenon! Unlike the main cause of fall color season, the sap flow does not depend on daylight hours, but on temperature patterns. Below-freezing nights and above-freezing days trigger the pressure changes that cause sap to leak out of the tree (and hopefully into our buckets) on warm spring days, regardless of how early those days occur. Help younger students learn how maple sap fits into the bigger picture of tree needs with the LEAF lesson “To Be a Tree.”
What other observations do your students like to make in the springtime? How are you taking advantage of this extra month of snow-free ground to get your students learning about the forest? Email us—we’d love to hear your stories and see your pictures.
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Three is the Magic Number for learning | Three-dimensional learning, a foundation of both the Wisconsin Standards for Science and the Next Generation Science Standards, approaches science instruction through three inter-connected lenses. | |
Crosscutting Concepts are big-picture ideas that unite the individual domains of science, such as “cause and effect” or “stability and change.”
Science and Engineering Practices like “Asking questions” or “Developing and using models” help students understand how science works in the world outside of the classroom.
Disciplinary Core Ideas are the key ideas in science instruction, and form the basis for how we assess science learning.
Together, three-dimensional teaching and learning helps students build a deeper understanding of science. How does forestry education support a three-dimensional learning environment in the elementary classroom? Many forestry topics are layered with multiple scientific concepts, perfect for connecting across the different “types” of science.
Consider the examples in the article above. Building a 3-D unit around the phenomenon of an early maple sap run could help young students learn about chemical reactions and the properties of matter, all the while addressing the Crosscutting Concepts of Patterns and Cause and Effect and getting hands-on with practices related to investigations and data. Talk about some three-dimensional learning!
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Forestry and Energy for the Elementary Classroom | |
Join LEAF for the morning session in Green Bay or Ashland this April to explore our newly revised 4th Grade Forestry Lesson Guide that more accurately represents the full history of the forests in our state.
Dates: Thursday, April 4 or April 11
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Locations: Green Bay or Ashland, WI
Fee: $25
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Step Outside Into Learning | |
Curious about teaching outdoors, but unsure what you need for success with learning outside the four walls of a classroom? This workshop will provide you with lesson plans, classroom management strategies and firsthand experience teaching and modeling outdoor lessons for your students.
Date: Wednesday, May 1
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Wausau, WI
Fee: $25
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Healthy Forests- Healthy Waters | |
Get inspired to teach about water at your school forest or other local site. Participants will explore how a single tree or forest can benefit water quality.
Date: Tuesday, June 11
Time: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Glendale, WI
Fee: $50
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LEAF On-Demand, Online Offerings
Project Learning Tree On-Demand, Online Offerings
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Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers Annual Conference, April 18-20 | La Crosse
Stop by our exhibitor booth!
Thursday Sessions:
• Science in the Trees: K-2 Lessons from Project Learning Tree’s New Activity Guide
• Relevant, Real-World Issues: Engage High School Students with PLT Resources
Friday Field Trip: Summit Elementary School Forest
Join us for a tour of the school forest and school grounds to learn about how Summit students explore their outdoor classroom. LEAF has been an important partner to Summit Environmental School. LEAF Staff will be present to answer questions about the Wisconsin School Forest and LEAF School Grounds programs. This field trip is recommended for elementary school educators, however, any registered conference participants may attend.
Friday Session:
• Empowering Young Learners: Fostering Equitable Outdoor Learning through a Statewide Resource Lending Program
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NTC's Wood Technology Center hosts Wood Olympics | |
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The Northcentral Technical College's (NTC) Wood Technology Center of Excellence is hosting its second annual NTC Wood Olympics on Wednesday, April 17, in Antigo.
Teams of high-school students will participate in different challenges that highlight the skills needed in industry. Competition events include woodworking, wood species and product ID, equipment ID, wood science trivia, measurements, and quality control tests. The event also includes a career fair.
High school students interested in wood manufacturing and learning about the forest products industry are encouraged to sign up for this one-day event.
Registration ends April 5th.
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Looking Ahead: Arbor Day!
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Arbor Day will be observed Friday, April 26th. It is a chance to recognize and celebrate the role trees play in our communities.
Please consider the resources below as you plan. And feel free to reach out to LEAF staff at leaf@uwsp.edu if you need assistance with any of the materials provided.
If you have a great Arbor Day photo or story to share! We always love to hear from you.
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Did your school order seedlings for planting on Arbor Day or sometime this Spring? See below for assistance we need from you, tips, and lessons to use with students. | |
Trillion Trees Initiative | |
The DNR needs your help to ensure your plantings count as part of Wisconsin's pledge towards the Trillion Trees Initiative.
Please put your newly planted trees on the map, especially if you received seedlings from the DNR nursery. They can’t verify those were planted unless you input the planting data.
By participating in a short survey your trees will be counted and placed on the map. The goal is to enter 75 million new trees into the state's soil by 2030.
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LEAF's Caring for the Future of Forests lesson positions students as stewards of the forests in their community, selecting the appropriate tree species based upon site characteristics and needs.
In this lesson, students dig in and participate in each step of planting a tree. They learn about the things a tree needs to grow, research and choose the right tree for the right site, and plant a tree. They are also encouraged to think about the purpose of the tree and the values it will grow to provide.
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The DNR has resources to help with everything from planting a single tree to reforesting a large swath of land. | |
Have questions or need additional resources? Contact us at leaf@uwsp.edu. We are here to support educators and students with forestry opportunities. | | | | |
