The Giving Tree

Today we read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I love this book! As an reading extension on our plant unit we are going to create our own classroom Giving Tree. The purpose of this activity is for the children to learn about ways that plants help people and animals as well as ways that people help plants.

After our read aloud today we discussed various ways that we help plants as well as ways that plants help people and animals. The children made great connections from the boy and the tree in the story to their own life experiences.
Some ideas we came up with:
1) Ways that plants help people
-plants give us food
-trees give us wood for making houses and boats
-plants give us shade
-plants give us oxygen so we can live
-plants give animals food and materials to make habitats
-We can use tree branches to climb
-Trees give us wood to make play sets and tree houses

2)Ways that people help plants
-people give plants water so they can grow
-people plant seeds so more plants can grow
-people give plants rich soil

Tomorrow the class will write sentences on individual leaf cut-outs about the discussion above. After we write on our leaves we will add the leaves to our classroom Giving Tree (made out of butcher paper) and then put it on display in the hallway for other students to see!