Activity Introduction
Ever dreamt about being a tree scientist? In this lesson you will take on the role of scientists whose task it is to measure tree diameter in order to calculate the age of trees. After collecting data about tree diameter you will analyse your data and draw conclusions about the trees in your area.
Learning outside means limitless opportunities for imagination, inspiration, curiosity and creative thinking. Kids need to keep asking ‘why’, ‘how come’ and ‘what if’. There is no better source of questions and possibilities than investigating your natural and built environment.
Safety advice: Conduct a risk assessment of the site before heading out. Examples of potential dangers outside include large trees with dead or dying limbs, stinging, biting insects, sunburn and dehydration. It’s also best to be prepared by having a phone and first aid kit handy.
As you’ll be learning outdoors it would be best to have an adult with you to make sure you’re keeping safe and an extra pair of hands is always handy – having some help will be extra important in Part A of this activity.
Ideal for: Lower secondary
Themes:
- investigating
Time required:
- Part 1 – 40 minutes
- Part 2 – 60 minutes
Curriculum connections: Mathematics, Science, Sustainability, Personal and Social Capability
As this activity is outdoors and requires two people to make measurements it is a good activity for kids to complete with a parent/caregiver.
- Blindfold
- Clipboard and pencil for recording data
- Field data page for tallies
- Homemade calipers to measure tree diameter (e.g. two narrow lightweight pieces of dowel approximately 1 metre in length joined together at one end enabling scissor action)
- Tape measure minimum of 2 metres
- Tree Tally Record Table
- Tree Tally Dot Plot chart and analysis
- Tree Tally – Analyse the class data
[email protected] from Cool Australia
[email protected] resources are designed for parents and teachers to use with children in the home environment. They can be used as stand-alone activities or built into existing curriculum-aligned learning programs. Our [email protected] series includes two types of resources. The first are fun and challenging real-world activities for all ages, the second are self-directed lessons for upper primary and secondary students. These lessons support independent learning in remote or school settings.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
