Busy Trees

1. Share the book “The Busy Tree” by Jennifer Ward as a read aloud to the class. Encourage students to ask and answer questions about details in the text.
2. Once the read aloud has concluded, ask students to list things mentioned in the book that can interact with a tree. (Pictures can be displayed on board as well.)
3. Provide sheets of 9” x 12” (228.6 mm x 304.8 mm) white drawing paper to students.
4. Discuss with students what a tree looks like, both the trunk and branches. Distribute brown construction paper or brown craft paper and demonstrate how children can place their hands/arms on paper with fingers outstretched to look like a tree with limbs. Working in teams of two, students trace around a partner's arm and hand. Use Crayola Blunt-Tip Scissors to cut on the model on the lines. Provide adult assistance as needed.
5. Using Crayola Washable School Glue, students adhere a green strip of 9” x 2” (228.6 mm x 50.8 mm) construction paper to bottom of paper (placed horizontally on desk) to represent the ground. Trees are then glued to the paper.
6. Encourage the class to discuss what could be found in their busy trees, looking at the list of ideas and observing pictures. Students add objects to their busy trees with Crayola Construction Paper Crayons. Walk around the classroom providing suggestions and encouraging students to add objects.
7. When all students have added objects (the number will vary), places cup of watered down blue Crayola Washable Kids’ Paint on student work tables. Also provide brushes for painting and instruct students to fill in paper with paint to create a sky. Crayons can be collected as students add blue paint and glue and tissue paper can be placed on desks/tables at this time.
8. Instructs students to put brushes down, and demonstrate how to crumple tissue paper that will be added to pictures to represent “leaves”; students put glue on pictures and place tissue paper on top of glue dots.
9. Circulate around the room to collect paint and brushes. At the same time, talk with students about their artwork as they put the final touches on their work.
10. When complete, encourage students to tell the stories of their "busy trees".

LA: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

LA: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear.

LA: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

SCI: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals and the places they live.

SCI: Systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together.

SCI: Construct drawings or diagrams as representations of events or systems.

SS: Examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment.

VA: Use different media, techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences and stories.

VA: Identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum.

Students can find/take pictures of different trees and animals, etc. to make a collage.

Stories can be written from the perspective of the tree, an animal, an insect, etc.