Agricultural WebQuest Series

Missouri Farm Bureau and Missouri State University

Teacher Page

Introduction:

Students should be able to realize that trees/forest produce oxygen for us to breath, supply us with jobs and wood products for furniture, housing and the paper industries, provide habitat for wild animals, help control erosion of soil and water quality and provide us a wonderful place to enjoy the great outdoors. 

Answers to Terms and Definitions:

Acre-  An area of land containing 43, a560 square feet.

Biltmore Stick- a graduated stick used to estimate tree diameter by holding it against the tree at breast height. 

Board foot- A unit  for measuring wood volumes.  A piece of wood 1 foot long , 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick.

Browse-Twigs and buds of small shrubs and trees that are eaten by deer and livestock.

Cambium- The growing layer of cells beneath the bark of a tree from which new wood and bark develop.

Canopy- The more or less continuous cover of branches and foliage formed collectively by the tops ,or crowns, of adjacent trees.

Conifer- A cone-bearing tree with needles, such as pines, spruce and firs, produces wood commonly known as softwood.

Deciduous- Trees having broad leaves and shedding leaves in the fall.  Known as hardwoods.

DBH- Diameter Breast Height- the diameter of a tree 4.5 feet above the ground.

Forest- A plant community dominated by trees and other woody plants.

Forester- A person who has been professionally trained and educated in forestry as a college or university.

Hardwood- A term describing broadleaf trees, usually deciduous, such as oaks, maples and ashes.

Harvest- In general use, the removal of all or portions of the trees in an area.

Intermediate Trees- Trees with crowns below the general level of the canopy that receive some sunlight from above but none of the sides.

Mature Trees- A tree that has reached the desired size or age for its intended use.

Riparian Zone- The area adjacent to or on the bank of rivers and streams.  Identified by vegetation, wildlife and other characteristics unique to these  locations.

Saplings- Trees from 2 inches to 6 inches in diameter at breast height.

Softwoods- Wood from Conifer trees.

Timber Stand Improvement,  (TSI) ,  A thinning made in immature stands to improve the composition, structure, condition, health and growth of the remaining trees.

Understory - All forest vegetation growing under an overstory.

Volume- The amount of wood in a tree, stand of trees or log according to some unit of measurement, such as board foot, cubic foot, etc.

 Extra Special Teacher Aids

Additional sources and activities

Teacher Resources

Electronic field trip to the forest  This website contains an in-depth video of a field trip to a forest.   If you would like to compliment your lesson plans, you might show these videos or provide students with the web address and allow them to watch them separately.  There are 3 sections to this video that last about 20 minutes each.  

Lesson Plan Extension for Teachers:  You may want to display the completed Leaf/Tree binders at an Open House, Parent's Night, etc. The binder makes a very neat and compact eye grabber that is easy to explain and defend to parents and other interested individuals.  Maybe you could even let the parents/guardians get in on the leaf collection process if possible.   However, students need to do their own binder/work .  You  may wish to have the students do a leaf-rub picture as a variation on the lesson.  Place leaves under the page, and color as desired.    

Supplies and Materials Needed:    

Students will need paper, tape, a 3-ring binder, pencil, crayons or washable markers and perhaps plastic sleeves to place completed pages in for compiling into the binder.     

Evaluation

Rubric for  Projects 1-5

National Education Standards

Science Standards

Science as Inquiry

• Populations and ecosystems
• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
• Science and technology in Society

Personal and Social Perspectives

• Populations, resources, and environments
• Science and technology in society

Technology Standards

Basic Operations and Concepts

• Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
• Students are proficient in the use of technology.

Technology Productivity Tools

• Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Language Arts

• Students read a wide range of print and non print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

• work flexibly with fractions, decimals, and percents to solve problems;

• Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices
• Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas

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This page was developed by RaMona Andrus, reviewed by Lyndon and Barbara Irwin and maintained by Missouri Farm Bureau.

Please address questions to Diane Olson at Missouri Farm Bureau or Dr. Lyndon Irwin at Missouri State University. 

©2006 Missouri Farm Bureau, All Rights Reserved!

Last revised on October 7, 2006