Skip to Main Content
3-D Trees

3-D Trees

Spark interest in trees and ecology as students research various species and create a 3 D forest.
Print Now

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Cardstock
  • Colored Pencils
  • Index Cards
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Washable Watercolors
  • Watercolor Pencils

Steps

  • Step 1

    Ask students to think about the role trees play in our environment. Encourage them to consider how trees help us breathe and what they provide in the way of food, shelter, and shade for animals as well as humans.

  • Step 2

    How many different tree species did students research? Did they explore how various trees were named and if the trees in your area are indigenous or came from other parts of the world? How do invasion species impact the ecosystem?

  • Step 3

    Ask each student to pick a tree from the research and create a visual display that represents the facts they learned. leaves, bark, size, etc. Challenge them to discover how various leaves, bark, root formations, etc. related where the tree grows and what products it provides (such as fruit, rubber, syrup, etc.).

  • Step 4

    Challenge students to use their paper engineering skills to create 3-D replicas of their trees. How will they get their trees to stand on their own? Have the students add color and texture to the trees. Remind them to decorate all sides of the tree because it will be displayed three-dimensionaly.

  • Step 5

    Have students write the name of their trees and information about them on display cards. Suggest that they also draw a close up picture of a leaf or a product they tree products.

  • Step 6

    Each student will present their art and a few interesting facts about the tree.

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

LA: Write using words, numbers, and images to inform and explain, share experiences, and create narratives, either fictional or non-fictional.

SCI: Design pictorial or graphic representations/models that are useful in communicating ideas.

SCI: Ask questions about the features of phenomena observed and conclusions drawn from investigations or models.

SS: Production, Distribution, and Consumption: Consider consequences of individual decisions on groups, communities, the nation, and beyond.

Adaptations

Students could research laws and regulations regarding trees in your area. Are permits required for cutting down trees? Are there incentives to encourage residents to plant trees?

Connect this lesson to calendar events such as Arbor Day or Earth Day or a day focused on preserving the rainforests. When was the calendar designation established? How has it inceased tree protection advocacy?

Read books about trees such as "The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever" by Joseph Hopkins. Students might enjoy learning more about Kate Sessions, who is known as "Tree Lady."