Tree Planting (Junior)

Learning Goals

Students will be able to understand the life cycle of a tree. They will learn to nurture and care for a plant throughout its growth. Students will use their observation skills to track the progress of their tree’s growth.

Materials Needed

• Seeds
• Medium sized pots with drainage holes and trays
• potting soil
• watering cans
• measuring tapes (or rulers)
• shovels
• Optional: journals, cameras, charts/graphs

Minds On (Activating Prior Knowledge)

Before you Plant:

• Decide if you are going to plant one tree as a class, one per student, or one per group of students.
• Find a location where you could plant your tree. Check with your school’s principal, local conservation areas, etc.
• It is best to plant a tree where it has space to grow. Your tree should be at least 8 meters away from overhead power lines. Also consider other objects in the area that could interfere with the tree’s growth and daily life (other trees, play equipment, fences, etc.).
• Check with local authorities before you dig. Be sure you won’t hit any utility lines!
• If you are going to plant multiple trees, make sure your area has enough space for multiple trees to grow.

It would be a good idea to get students involved in these processes! First, get students to brainstorm areas they could plant. For every place they suggest, ask:

• What will happen if the tree grows tall?
• What will happen if the roots grow wide?
• Is the tree going to be in anyone’s way there?
• Will there be enough space for multiple trees to grow?

Take students on walks around the yard or somewhere else you are thinking of planning to find the “perfect” spot to plant. They could create a “tree planting proposal” as an assessment. They must draw a map of a spot they think would be good for planting and write why they think a tree would grow successfully there. They must consider certain factors, such as power lines, fences, etc.

For more information about planting, check out the Million Tree Project website.

Activity (Teacher or Volunteer Lead)

Germinating Seeds:

Note: This is a general planting process. Before you germinate your seeds, do some research on your tree to see what will work best.

Gather your material. You will need:

• Seeds you collected as a class
• Medium sized pots that have drainage holes in the bottom (one per seed you are planting). They should be big enough so the seed has a chance to grow, unless you plan on moving it to a larger pot as it grows. It is probably better to choose a plastic pot for the classroom.
• Trays to catch drained water
• Potting soil

Have students fill their pots almost to the top with potting soil. Use a finger to make a small indent in the middle of the pot, about 2cm deep. Plant the seed in this hole, making sure it is about 2cm deep and cover it with soil. If you plant the seed too deep, it may not grow. Water your seed thoroughly and place the pot(s) in a place in the classroom that gets plenty of sunlight (such as a windowsill).

Remind students that trees grow everyday without human assistance. Trees produce many seeds. This is because not all of them will turn into trees. Sometimes, when humans plant trees, the seed may not take, and other problems could arise. Get students to think about factors that could intervene with the growth of their tree. In the classroom, the tree might not get a lot of sunlight. Perhaps the seed was not effective for planting. Once they plant the tree outside, animals may eat it, or it may not rain enough to water it. These factors stunt tree growth every day in nature and students should be prepared if their tree doesn’t sprout!

Track Your Seed’s Progress:

Have students check their seeds regularly (every 2-3 days) to make sure the soil isn’t dry. Add water at least once each week. Inform students that if they add too much water, they could displace their seeds. They should add enough water so that the soil is moist, but not wet.

Track the progress of the seed’s growth- weekly, monthly, or whatever works for your class. Here are some ways to track your tree’s growth:

• Take photos weekly. Display the growth on a class bulletin board, a google slide, on book creator, etc.
• Tie some math into it! Once your tree starts sprouting, get students to measure the height every week. They can record its growth monthly in a graph or chart.
• Keep a field journal and record observations of the seed’s growth weekly.

As your seed is growing:

Generate classroom discussions about why you are planting trees. Have conversations about climate change, sustainability (sustainable logging efforts), deforestation, and conservation. The Million Tree Project website has plenty of information on all of these topics to get you started.

Plant Your Trees in the Ground:

Different trees need different habitats… and sometimes, different planting procedures. In most cases, following the steps below will work just fine. If you’d like specific advice for your tree species, check online or with your local nursery.

1. Check the weather. You can transfer deciduous trees to the ground as soon as the frost leaves the soil in the spring. You can plant conifers until four weeks after deciduous trees leaf out.
2. Dig a hole that is 2-3 times wider than your root ball, and about the same depth. Roughen up the edges of the hole so it’s easier for tree roots to wiggle through. If your soil contains a lot of sand or clay, mix in a little compost. Get students involved in measuring the space to dig their holes!
3. Green side up! Point your sapling’s leaves straight towards the sky.
4. Fill the hole about 2/3 full of soil, and gently pack it down to remove air pockets.
5. Give your tree a drink! Fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain.
6. Top up the soil, forming a mound around the tree’s roots.
7. Planting more than one tree? Leave plenty of space between them to avoid crowding as they grow.
8. Continue tracking the growth of your trees.
9. Remember to register your planted trees with the Million Tree Project!