Seasonal Changes: A Tree for All Seasons, with its beautiful photographs, is a wonderful way to introduce first grade students to basic science concepts. Showing the seasonal changes for the maple tree, the text and photos make it clear that throughout the year a tree is a living thing that provides food and shelter for other life forms. I suspect most children will look at trees very differently after they read and talk about this book.

Dr. Marilyn Howard, State Superintendent of Public Instruction 1. INVESTIGATION [social studies] “Describe ways people adjust to their environment.” 2. VISUAL ARTS [humanities] “Experiment with different materials, techniques and processes in the visual arts.”

3. VISUALIZATION [language arts]

“ Integrate visual, structural, and meaning cues to gain understanding of text.”

5. SYMMETRY [math] “Sort and classify objects by more than one attribute.” 4. CHANGE [science] “Identify the four seasons and their characteristics.”

Books purchased for Idaho’s elementary schools by the Idaho Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (IASCD) Idaho Department of Education, (208) 332-6800 Bureau of Curriculum and Accountability: Dr. Carolyn Mauer, Bureau Chief Kevin Collins, science; Susan Harrington, math; Dr. Lynette Hill, language arts, Stacey Joyner, reading Dr. Dan Prinzing, social studies; Dr. Peggy Wenner, humanities

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A Tree for All Seasons Grade: First Content Area: Social Studies Lesson Focus: Investigation "Autumn brings chilly days and nights." Purpose: Broaden students understanding of the ways people dress to adjust to the seasons. Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• compare and contrast the clothing choices for each season • choose appropriate clothing for the seasonal changes in their locale • create a Venn diagram as a tool for comparison and contrast

Idaho Achievement Standards: 382.01 Acquire critical thinking and analytical skills.

Content Knowledge and Skills: 382.01d Create a timeline that shows personal experiences that take place over a period of time.

392.01 Understand basic economic concepts Content Knowledge and Skills: 392.01a Identify the basic needs of people such as food, clothing, and shelter

394.02 Understand that human actions modify the physical environment and how physical systems affect human activity and living conditions.

Content Knowledge and Skills: 394.02a Describe ways people adjust to their environment. Materials/Resources: Book, A Tree for All Seasons Venn diagram - rings, flannel board, or large chart paper Vis-À-Vis marker and 3" x 5" cards or Post-it notes 9 x 12 white construction paper Markers or crayons Three copies of each child's small school picture File folder game for extension activity Procedure for Teaching: Picture walk through the book looking specifically at the people. Notice how they are dressed according to the activities they are participating in, or the work they are doing. Ask questions such as;

Which season is being shown on the cover? What makes you think that? Is this how you would dress in autumn? How are the farmers dressed for their work?

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Once the discussion of the clothing choices in the book is completed, as a class, answer the following question using a Venn diagram: How will you dress for summer or autumn? The children will discover that some choices of clothing may fit in the overlapped section of the diagram. As a whole group summarize their findings. Student Product: Students will take a 9" x 12" white paper and fold it in thirds creating three 4" x 9" boxes. They will glue their photocopied picture in the top of each section. After labeling the center section with the current season, they will label the boxes before and after with the seasons that surround the current one. Students will compare and contrast the characteristics found in their drawings. The student will draw their bodies in each season's box to illustrate the appropriate wear for the seasons. Extension Activity: Make a list of items needed to create a survival pack for the home in case of bad weather. Student Center: Students may now go to the file folder center to "pack their clothes into trunks" for the appropriate seasons. Crosswalk from Idaho’s Social Studies Standards to the Math Standards: 272.02 Collect, organize, and display data,

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Figure 1

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Figure 2

Autumn

Winter

Spring

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A Tree for All Seasons Name: Sue Storaasli, Lake Pend Oreille Grade: First Content Area: Humanities Lesson Focus: Visual Arts

“As the leaves dry up, they change from green to yellow, red, and orange.”

Purpose: Expand students understanding of the connections between art, literature, and science – between concrete and abstract settings. Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• Create a “leafy pal” by assembling real leaves into an animal design. • Select leaves that match corresponding animals

Idaho Achievement Humanities Standards: 872.01 Communicate in the visual and performing arts through applications of artistic concepts,

knowledge, and skills. Content Knowledge and Skills: 872.01b1 Name and use different art materials.

872.02 Communicate in the visual and performing arts through creative expression. Content Knowledge and Skills: 872.02b3 Experiment with different materials, techniques and processes in the visual arts.

Materials/Resources: Book: A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard Book: Look What I Did With a Leaf by Morteza E. Sohi Examples of Leafy Pals Leaves that students have brought in. Light colored construction paper to glue the project on and dark colored paper to frame the final product. Laminating film to laminate them for preservation. Elmer’s glue Procedure for Teaching: Review the book A Tree for All Seasons with a picture walk. Students observe and classify leaves they brought in by size, color and shape (attributes). Introduce and discuss Look What I Did With a Leaf. Brainstorm a list of animals the students might like to make with their leaves. Show example of leafy pals (see Figure 1) The teacher will model procedures for selecting and creating a leaf design.

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Final Activity: Students analyze the leaves they have and decide what animal they will create. Lay the leaves on construction paper in the design they are choosing to create. Glue into place, frame and laminate. Extensions: Create and read a poem about your leafy pal Create a physical movement that your leafy pal might make. Put the finished art work into a grid for a math activity. Include two to three questions about the grid to answer. Such as “What animal is found in C2?” Crosswalk from Idaho’s Humanities Standards to the Language Arts Standards 681.02b Develop descriptive vocabulary to enhance writing to the Mathematics Standards 272.01a Interpret information found in simple graphs to answer questions.

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Figure 1 – Leafy Pal

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A Tree for All Seasons Grade: First Content Area: Language Arts Lesson Focus: Visualization “Year after year, a

maple tree changes from season to season.” Purpose: Broaden students’ understanding of seasonal changes Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• Predict what might happen in each season • Use visual/picture cues to be able to identify appropriate vocabulary words • Recognize and repeat vocabulary from the season

Idaho Achievement Language Arts Standards: 680.01: Read a variety of traditional and electronic materials for information and understanding, Content Knowledge and Skills:

680.01p: Draw on prior knowledge and discuss to generate questions to predict text. 680.01q: In order to predict text, preview illustrations, title page and other text pages. 680.01r: Integrate visual, structural, and meaning cues to gain understanding of text.

Materials/Resources: Book: A Tree for All Seasons Book: Seasons of the Apple Tree Alphabet Box (Figure1) Student created accordion apple tree book (see Figure 2): Run off on construction paper. Chart Paper Vocabulary cards (Figure 3) List of vocabulary words selected from the story: Basic List: season, summer, winter, spring, fall, tree, change, green, red, yellow, orange Challenge Vocabulary: year, bare, covered, cozy, leaves, branch, weather, sap, tassels, samaras, roots, color, chilly, veins, taps, maple, rain, shower, sunshine, fruit, bright, syrup, day, night, bark Web: find sounds for all seasons (chickadee, duck, robin, mice, chipmunks, etc.) Enchanted learning.com Go to : starfall.org Season Cards (winter, spring, summer, fall) for each pair/cooperative group of students. Procedure for Teaching: Take a walk outside and encourage children to describe their surroundings.

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Display the cover of the book A Tree for All Seasons. Introduce the title. (Describe what they see. What season is it?) Invite students to verbally discuss what is happening on the cover. Display the first picture of the four trees (p.1). Reinforce the word “seasons.” Discuss the similarities/differences they see. As students brainstorm, teacher lists student’s descriptive words on chart paper. Do a book picture walk. Encourage discussion and compare their descriptive words with textual cues. Add new words they might discover through the picture walk to the previously created list. Read/discuss the Big Book, A Tree for All Seasons Vocabulary Lesson: Distribute the season cards to student groups. Students illustrate on back of the cards with a tree that depicts the season (use page one as a reference). Have student groups sort the word list created in the brainstorming lesson around the season cards. Alphabet Box – Illustrate and write the vocabulary words in the alphabet box. (See Figure 1) Summary Activity: In pairs, draw one season card and describe that season using the alphabet boxes they have created. Extension Lessons: Center Activity: Classify the challenge vocabulary word cards under the appropriate season card. (Teachers can make up their own word cards and include the brainstormed list.) Bring in pictures from home (family photos, magazines, newspapers, etc.) that depict the different seasons and sort them around the season cards as well. Create an apple tree book. (See Figure 2) Crosswalk from Idaho’s Language Arts Standards to the Science Standards 543.02a Understanding Changes Occur 544.01b Make Observations and 544.01f Communicate Observations 549.01a Identify Four Seasons and Characteristics

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Figure 1: Alphabet Box Student Name________________________ Unit Title _______________________

a b c d e f g

h I j k l m n

o p q r s t tree u

v w x y z

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Figure 3:

Vocabulary Words Print onto labels and attach to cards.

season summer winter spring fall

change green red yellow orange

tree year bare covered cozy

leaves branch weather sap tassels

taps maple rain shower sunshine

samaras roots color chilly veins

fruit bright syrup day night

bark

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Figure 2: Apple Book

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A Tree for All Seasons Name: Karen Dillon, Nampa Grade: First Content Area: Language Arts #2 Lesson Focus: Creative Writing "If you

play in the leaves, you'll hear crunch, scrunch, crunch."

Purpose: Broaden students’ understanding of seasons. Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• Brainstorm a list of seasonal vocabulary. • Write a class poem about seasons. • Write individual sentences about a season. • Share their sentences with the class.

Idaho Achievement Standards: 681.01 Understand and use the writing process. Content Knowledge and Skills: 681.01b Develop story fluency, write words and sentences relating to one topic. 681.02 Write and edit for correctness and clarity. Content Knowledge and Skills: 681.02b Develop descriptive vocabulary to enhance writing. 681.02e Frequently reread to clarify, revise, and edit. 682.02 Listen for literary response and expression. Content Knowledge and Skills: 682.02a Interpret and respond to a variety of oral presentations. 683.01 Speak to share understanding of information. Content Knowledge and Skills: 683.01a Clearly communicate to a range of audiences for various purposes. Materials/Resources: Chart Paper and marker Student writing papers Pencils Alphabet boxes from first Language Arts lesson Final Assessment (Figure 1) Procedure for Teaching: Read the book, A Tree for All Seasons to the students. Direct them to look for a series of words that are descriptive or colorful. (For example, “a cozy tree hole”, or “dark, sweet, maple syrup.”) Stress to the students how the author has used these words to help readers create a clear picture in their minds.

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As a class, brainstorm words that can be used to write a class poem (free verse) and/or individual sentences. Students will add these words to their alphabet boxes used during the first Language Arts lesson. When writing the class poem rhyming is not necessary since this is free verse. As a whole group and with teacher support and direction, invite students to share ideas for a poem. As the students work together to verbalize the poem, write the poem on the chart paper. During the lesson, the teacher will model the writing process. Reread the poem together to reinforce the vocabulary used. Student Product: This class poem writing experience will serve to launch an individual writing lesson. Students may refer to their alphabet boxes to create their own sentences about the seasons. The teacher will monitor and guide to help students revise and edit their writing. Students may share their writing with peers in an Author Share with a small or whole group. To encourage the listening process, the author may ask for questions about his/her writing. Summative Activity: Students may illustrate their writing and then compile them into a class book for independent reading. The teacher may also copy the student's writing and class poem to create a book for each student to share with parents and read at home. Crosswalk from Idaho’s Language Arts Standards to the Science Standards: 549.01 Understand scientific theories of origin and subsequent changes in the universe and earth systems.

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Figure 1 Name ___________________________ Date ________________ Final Assessment of Seasons

1. The days grow shorter and chilly. The leaves turn red, orange, and yellow. You wear a sweater. It is__________. 2. The days grow longer. The days and nights are warm. You can go barefoot. It is _____________. 3. The days are colder. Often snow falls. You wear a hat, coat, and mittens. It is _____________. 4. Flowers are blooming. The sun may shine. The rain may fall. You might jump in a puddle. It is _____________.

5. Snow is melting. Birds come back. You can fly a kite. It is____________.

6. Animals grow more fur. Some get ready to sleep a long time. Squirrels gather nuts. It is _____________. 7. The nights are longer. You can go sledding. You drink hot chocolate. It is____________. 8. The days are hot. Butterflies flutter about. Gardens are growing. You eat watermelon. It is _____________.

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A Tree for All Seasons

Grade: First

Content Area: Science Lesson Focus: Change “But don’t worry about the noise. The maple tree won’t wake up again until spring.”

Purpose: Broaden students understanding of seasons.

Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• Recognize that change can occur between seasons. • Associate characteristics that relate to the seasons.

Idaho Achievement Science Standards: 543.02 Understands constancy, change and measurement.

Content Knowledge and Skills: 543.02a Understand that changes occur and can be measured.

544.01 Understands scientific inquiry and develop critical thinking skills. Content Knowledge and Skills:

544.01a Brainstorm questions that can be investigated. 544.01b Make observations

544.01d Explore information and evidence 544.01e Use observations to make guesses 544.01f Communicate observations

549.01 Understand scientific theories of origin and subsequent changes in the universe and earth systems

Content Knowledge and Skills: 549.01a Identify the four seasons and their characteristics

Materials/Resources: Book: A Tree for All Seasons by Robert Bernard Book: A Busy Year by Leo Leoni Student Activity Sheet (Figure 1)

Procedure for Teaching: Review A Tree for All Seasons with a quick picture walk. The objective for this picture walk is for students to become aware of the seasonal changes they see with the maple tree. Read and discuss A Busy Year with the same objective. Identify new vocabulary words and add them to the brainstorming list and the student’s alphabet boxes from the Language Arts lesson. Vocabulary: awake, buds, dead, alive, dry, asleep, blossoms, fruit, sap, soak Summary Activity: Students will complete the activity sheet (Figure 1).

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Extensions: Repeat the same activity with The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons. Chromatography Experiment (Figure 2) Crosswalk from Idaho’s Science Standards to the Language Arts Standards 682.01a Demonstrate effective and appropriate listening skills 682.01b Listen to gain enrichment and information 682.02a Interpret and respond to a variety of oral presentations 682.02b Discuss similarities and differences among a variety of oral presentations. 684.01a Gain information from visual sources 684.01b Discuss main concept and details with non-print media

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Figure 1 (Student Activity) Name _________________________________ Directions: Finish drawing the tree to show the correct season. Draw a line from the word list to the

correct seasonal tree using crayons to match the color word.

asleep leaf buds open blossoms leaves fall pick fruit awake leaves - bright colors alive covered - dark green leaves hot dry soaks up water sap fruit begins growing

Winter - Red

Spring - Purple

Summer - Green

Autumn - Orange

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Figure 2 – Chromatography Experiment

Learning About the Changing Seasons by Heidi Gold-Dworkin, Ph.D.

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A Tree for All Seasons Name: Suzanne Pack, Kimberly Grade: First Content Area: Mathematics Lesson Focus: Investigations/Symmetry

“Look at the veins in a leaf…” Purpose: Students will explore the concepts of symmetry. Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:

• Find a line of symmetry on a leaf. • Mark a line of symmetry on a leaf.

Idaho Achievement Standards: 271.01 Apply concepts of size, shape, and spatial relationships.

Content Knowledge and Skills: 271.01b Recognize and create shapes that have symmetry. 271.01d Understand appropriate vocabulary.

272.02 Collect, organize, and display data. Content Knowledge and Skills: 272.02a Gather and display data and graphs in order to answer a question.

273.01 Understands the concepts of functions. Content Knowledge and Skills: 273.01b Sort and classify objects by more than one attribute.

Materials/Resources: Book: A Tree for All Seasons Leaf Lines (Figure 1) Plastic baggies Leaves collected from the walk Mirrors White copy paper Black markers Magnifying glasses Procedure for Teaching: Picture walk to page nine in A Tree for All Seasons. Teacher will model how to fold the leaf in half to find the line of symmetry and how to use the mirror to check. Students will study the veins of one leaf with a magnifying glass. Have students fold the leaf in half to identify the line of symmetry. Open the leaf and place a mirror on the line of symmetry to check and see if both sides look the same. Move the mirror to find other lines of symmetry on other lobes (arms) of the leaf. Repeat the activity using different leaves.

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Students select one leaf, and fold it in half. Place folded half on a folded half of paper and trace it with a marker. Cut the leaf out on the marked line. Summative Activity: Open the leaf and mark the line of symmetry. Extensions: Leaf prints – Use the back of the leaf in order to emphasize the leaf veins. Using the same leaf and a different color, print again on the same paper, slightly overlapping the first leaf print. Repeat with different colors as desired. Preserved Leaf Book (Figure 2) Movement: How does the leaf float to the ground? . Crosswalk from Idaho’s Mathematics Standards to the Humanities Standards. 872.01 Communicate in the visual and performing arts through application of artistic concepts, knowledge and skills 872.02 Communicate in the visual and performing arts through creative expression.

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Figure 1 (Leaf Symmetry Picture)

Nature’s Mathematical Marvels by James Burnett & Calvin Irons

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Figure 2 - Preserved Leaf Book

Learning About the Changing Seasons by Heidi Gold-Dworkin, Ph.D.