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We Love Trees!

 

We love learning about trees. We start in Reception and build up our tree knowledge in Year 1 and Year 2. We learn to identify the trees found in our school grounds, we observe our trees through the seasons, and we use our senses to make connections with our trees. Trees provide us with opportunities to use a range of classification keys. We use basic leaf guides, books, season specific guides looking at flowers, fruits, seeds and buds, location specific guides made by me and more complicated branching keys. As well as identifying trees we sketch them, play games involving trees and connect with a favourite one which we revisit throughout the year. We learn about the importance of trees to us, our climate and all the living things in our world, we learn about the life cycles of trees, and importantly we learn how to respect trees.

All the tree learning that we do in Woodland School supports, enriches and deepens the learning taking place in science lessons in class.  

After identifying a favourite tree at the start of the year, Year 1 enjoyed visiting it again at the beginning of Autumn to see how it was changing.

 

Branching keys, or yes/no keys as they are sometimes known, encourage children to observe closely the features of a tree such as leaf shape.

Is your tree deciduous or evergreen?

Year 2 have been learning to use a variety of classification keys to identify trees this Spring.

While playing 'meet a tree' Year 2 used their senses to work out which tree they had encountered. They then reflected on how it felt to trust their friends to guide them in the game.