Tree Perspectives Teacher Directions 1. Students use their science knowledge and observations to write a special type of poem called a haiku. Haikus have tricky rules: They are usually about nature, they can have only 3 lines, the first and third lines have exactly five syllables, while the middle line has precisely seven.* 2. Read one or more of the following haikus with the students. Use your classroom technique to count the syllables as the poem is read. Note the 5/7/5 pattern as a class. 3. Split your class into three large groups [Canopy (green), understory (yellow) and forest floor (brown) sit together]. 4. Give a large forest layer photo (canopy, understory, forest floor) to each layer group. 5. To each student (or student pair), give: A Tree Perspectives handout, pencil, and clipboard An image of ONE organism. You may choose to distribute the images or allow students to select their own. (Canopy animals=canopy photo). 6. Students will use the Tree Perspectives sheet to plan and compose their haiku. If desired, sharing is an opportunity for students to practice active listening and give positive feedback. 7. Please leave this station tidy and plan to arrive at your next station on schedule. NOTE: We would love to see examples of students finished product! Student Haikus Birds chirping a lot People singing all the time Birds are going south! I see bees flying Nature Flowers are blooming. Birds build their new homes Green grass in April Birds begin to sing in trees Children play outside Caterpillars hatch Bees drink the juice from flowers. Bees fly everywhere. Haikus by Richard Wright The webs of spiders Sticking to my sweaty face In the dusty woods. An apple blossom Trembling on a sunlit branch From the weight of bees. A silent spring wood: A crow opens its sharp beak And creates a sky. Falling to the ground, I watch a leaf settle down In a bed of brown. * While 5/7/5 is the standard commonly used, poetry experts disagree on this structure. Developed by Education Programs at Blandy Experimental Farm Boyce Va blandy.virginia.edu 540-837-1758 March -2016
CANOPY CANOPY Bald Faced Hornet Flying Squirrel Habitat: Nest in forest trees Diet: Insects Interesting Fact: Nests are only used once, they are empty in the late fall season. Habitat: Forest with older trees for nesting Diet: Nuts, fruits, berries, bird eggs Interesting Fact: Flying squirrel glide from tree to tree.
CANOPY CANOPY Red Shouldered Hawk Ruby crowned kinglet Habitat: Deciduous forests and swamps Diet: small mammals, snakes, lizards Interesting Fact: Males and females will reuse nests from the year before. Habitat: Evergreen forests Diet: insects and spiders on leaves and branches in the canopy Interesting Fact: This tiny bird can lay up to 12 eggs in her nest!
CANOPY CANOPY Cicada Pileated Woodpecker Habitat: Dead or dying big trees in the forest Habitat: Tree trunks and branches in the canopy Diet: Feeds on tree sap and then on roots in the ground. Diet: Carpenter ants, insects Interesting Fact: Peck rectangle shaped holes in trees. Interesting Fact: The cicada s song can be heard up to a ½ mile away!
CANOPY CANOPY Eastern Gray Squirrel Gray Tree Frog Habitat: Forests, makes a nest in the canopy Diet: Nuts, seeds, flowers Interesting Fact: These squirrels have an excellent sense of smell Habitat: Trees in Forests, especially when the can camouflage! Diet: beetle and butterfly larvae Interesting Fact: Will change color during the breeding season
FOREST FLOOR FOREST FLOOR Cottontail Rabbit Habitat: Forests with lots of plant cover Diet: Stems, twigs, flowers, seeds, grasses, fruits Interesting Fact: They can jump up to 15 feet! Velvet Ant Habitat: in the nests of ground nesting ants and wasps Diet: Wasp and ant larvae Interesting Fact: Not an ant at all but a wasp without wings!
FOREST FLOOR FOREST FLOOR Garter Snake Habitat: Forest and fields Diet: earthworms, spiders, insects, frogs and toads Interesting Fact: Hibernate in caves in winter Hercules Beetle Habitat: Rotting logs and tree stumps Diet: Decomposing logs, leaves and fruit Interesting Fact: Male beetles use their horns to fight for a mate. These beetles are not a danger to humans!
FOREST FLOOR FOREST FLOOR Habitat: Wet forests Wood Turtle Diet: Berries, moss, mushrooms, insects, tadpoles, worms Land Snail Habitat: Forest floor with lots of dead leaves Diet: leaves, algae, fungi, scat Interesting Fact: Snails can live on land but need to keep their skin wet. Interesting Fact: These turtles migrate to streams and rivers in the winter and back to forest in the spring
FOREST FLOOR FOREST FLOOR American Woodcock Bobcat Habitat: Forests with a lot of plant cover (to hide and sneak on prey) Diet: rabbits, mice, birds Habitat: Forests, nest in parts of the forest with lots of cover Diet: Worms, snails, spiders, flies, beetles, ants Interesting Fact: Very good camouflage helps protect this bird from predators Interesting Fact: A bobcat will use more than one den (one for raising young, others for shelter)
UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY Brown Thrasher Eastern Red Bat Habitat: Hides in leaves on trees during the day (camouflage) Habitat: Thick understory shrubs and woods Diet: insects (beetles, caterpillars), fruits, seeds (blueberry, sumac) Diet: insects (moths, flies, cicadas, crickets) Interesting Fact: Often follows the same path to hunt for food Interesting fact: Sings more than 1100 different song types!
UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY Katydid Northern Rough Green snake Habitat: Branches or bushes in the understory Diet: leaves, flowers, stems of plants Interesting Fact: They rub their wings together to make sounds at night. Habitat: Small bushes and patches of briars, especially over streams Diet: Grasshoppers, crickets, slugs Interesting Fact: Camouflages well in green plants of the understory
UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY Spicebush Swallowtail Walking Stick Habitat: Host plant is understory (Spicebush). Found in the caterpillar stage on this plants. Diet: Spicebush (larvae), Thistles (adult) Interesting Fact: Caterpillar mimics a larger animal to avoid predators. Habitat: Bushes and small trees in the understory Diet: Leaves of deciduous trees Interesting Fact: Can grow a new leg if it loses one!
UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY Blue orchard bee Indigo Bunting Habitat: Build nests in small holes in trees Diet: Adult bees eat pollen and nectar (especially from fruit trees) Interesting Fact: Females are larger than males Habitat: Edges of fields and meadows Diet: Seeds, spiders and insects Interesting Fact: These birds migrate at night