Trees are Terrific and forests are too!! Arbor Day Poster Contest Sponsored by Keep Allen Beautiful
Who May Enter? Who may enter the contest? 4 th & 5 th graders enrolled in the AISD How does the contest work? Students create informational posters on 8 ½ x 11, 14 x 18, or any size paper in between. Use the Activity Guide and follow the Rubric (Judging Sheet). Use markers, crayons, colored pencils, watercolor, ink, acrylic, and/or tempera paint to create an original poster that reflects understanding of a forest ecosystem. Don t forget to include the theme on the front of your poster! Trees are Terrific and forests are too! No collages, computer or photo art. Must be original artwork. Participants must sign their name (first and last name) on the front of the poster in the lower right corner. Label student name, teacher name, and school on the back of the poster.
HOW TO CREATE A WINNING POSTER Read the Activity Guide and Pay Attention to the Concepts. Follow the directions on the Rubric (Judging Sheet). 1. Concept: A forest is more than trees. Illustrate and label at least two ways that forest animals and plants interact. (Examples might include: trees and plants provide food and shelter for animals, animals bury seeds that may grow into plants, insects pollinate flowers, fungi and other decomposers break down dead material which enriches the soil so new plants may grow.) 2. Concept: Many different kinds of forests exist. Different forests have different kinds of trees. Demonstrate your knowledge by drawing one or more trees and label what type of tree (Broadleaf, Conifer) and what type of forest your tree(s) may be found in (Boreal forests, Temperate forests, Tropical forests).
3. Concept: Every forest contains a variety of habitats that support diverse, interdependent communities of plants and animals. Review the layers of the forest (Forest floor, Understory, Canopy, Emergent layer). Illustrate and label an animal or plant that lives in at least two of the layers. Label the layers of the forest on your drawing. 4. Concept: A forest provides many benefits. Illustrate and label at least two examples of what a forest can provide. (Examples include raw materials for products used by humans, opportunities for recreation, sources of energy, influence water quality, preserve soil, absorb carbon dioxide, create oxygen, and provide food and shelter.)
5. Concept: Altering a forest environment affects all living things and interrelationships in an ecosystem. Somewhere on your poster name and explain one variable that can potentially impact your forest. (Some examples are provided on page 10 of Activity Guide such as drought, fire, slash and burn agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, logging, and floods, or research other examples.)
General Information Forest Layers Emergent Layer - Exist in the Tropical Rain Forets, A few tower over canopy ( 200 ) Canopy - Crowns of large dominant trees receive the most sunlight, forms shady canopy, many mature trees Understory - small young ornamental trees, shrubs and bushes that have adapted under canopy Forest Floor - Decomposed leaves, dead trees, fungi, lichens ferns, grasses, and tree seedlings
Temperate Forest Mix of Broadleaf Deciduous and Conifers (Evergreen) trees 5-12 different type of trees
Boreal Forests Mostly conifers, long winters, cold temperatures
Tropical Forests Between Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn >100 Rain per year Warm temperatures all year round Understory plants compete for light
What Type of Forest is in the United States?
The Type of Forest located in the United States is a Temperate Forest
Send Winning Posters to: City of Allen, Attn: Andrea Smith Arbor Day Poster Contest 305 Century Parkway Allen, TX 75013 When is the deadline to get posters to City Hall? Sponsors (Science Teachers, Environmental PTA Chairs, or Club Leaders) will choose the top three posters to represent their school and bring them to City Hall no later than 5pm on January 26, 2018.
Recognition One grand prize of a 3 caliper 6 tree planted at your school in February 2018. Top three students will receive certificates and prizes at a City Council Meeting in February 2018. All participates whose poster was forwarded to the City level will receive a certificate.
QUESTIONS? Andrea M. Smith asmith@cityofallen.org 214-509-4552