Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Tune in: Why do we have trees?

20 minutes

Find out: Story and Rake thinking routine

20 minutes

Take action: Poetry Writing, Editing and Sharing

Tune in: Why do we have trees?

Step 1.

If you aren't already outside, take the class to your outdoor learning space. Review outdoor learning rules and the benefits of outdoor learning with students, including potential hazards and actions to take in the event of hazards.

Step 2. Discuss:

What’s the most important reason we have trees?
Why is this the most important reason?

Find out: Story and Rake thinking routine

Step 1.

In this activity, students are asked to observe how they experience trees by answering the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What do trees feel like?
What do trees smell like?
What might trees taste like? (WARNING - some trees are toxic so don't actually try tasting them!)
What do you see when you look at trees?
What do trees sound like?
How does being around trees make you feel?
What does being around trees make you think about?

While students are completing the Rake thinking routine, prepare for the next activity by spreading out the seven pieces of paper or cardboard labelled with one of the following (Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch, Smell, Thinking, Feeling/Emotion) with markers/textas in the learning space to form a large circle.

Step 2.

Working in seven groups, invite students to share some of their responses to the questions above, adding ideas to the relevant seven cards spread around the learning space.

Encourage students to be creative in thinking about what words can be added to the cards. Give groups 2-3 minutes at each card.

As students rotate through the activity, you could reduce the amount of time they spend at each card, as it may become increasingly difficult to think of new ideas. Monitor student attention and behaviour, and shorten the time at each sense, if necessary.

Take action: Poetry Writing, Editing and Sharing

Step 1.

Reconvene the class.

Step 2.

Explain that you are going to use the words on these seven cards to write a poem about trees.

Step 3.

Revise the concept of adjectives and encourage students to use them in their poem. For revision, you could teach the rap below:

Reflection

Invite students to complete the ‘Two Stars and a Wish’ thinking routine. Encourage students to reflect on two things they have learnt regarding the importance of trees, and ask them to write a ‘wish’ regarding how the poems could be used to encourage others to value trees. Students can complete this activity in their workbooks or on the Student Worksheet.

Trees

Trees taste like juicy warm plums on a hot summer's day.

Trees smell like fresh orange blossom perfume wafting in the breeze.

Trees look like safe homes for birds, possums and insects.

Trees sound like rustling leaves in the wind.

Trees feel like protection from the sun's fierce heat.

Step 4.

As a class, create some examples based on student ideas.

For example: ‘branch’ - strong branch; ‘wind’ - fierce wind, etc.

Step 5. Discuss:

What effect do adjectives have on the reader? They help the reader create an image in their mind.

Step 6.

Explain that students will write their own poem, using one short descriptive sentence for each of the five senses.

Read the following Five Senses poetry example to students (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Word Rap

A noun is a person, place or thing,
Like Boy or House or Playground Swing,

An adjective describes nouns well,
a small smile, blue sky or beautiful shell.

A verb is an action or being kind of thing,
eat, run, were, be, shout and sing!

Step 7.

Place the pieces of cardboard back into the large circle formation so that students can use the brainstormed ideas to write their poems.

Ask students to sit at the pieces of cardboard again. Explain that the lines of the poem don’t have to be written in order. Encourage students to move to the different senses in their own time. Emphasise that their poems need to reinforce the importance of trees.

Students can write their poems in the spaces provided on the Student Worksheet.

Step 8.

At the end of the writing time, ask students to whisper their poems aloud to check their sentence structure and the meaning of each sentence. Students then form pairs and read their poems to each other. Give students an opportunity to share their poem with the whole class.

Reflection

Invite students to complete the ‘Two Stars and a Wish’ thinking routine. Encourage students to reflect on two things they have learnt regarding the importance of trees, and ask them to write a ‘wish’ regarding how the poems could be used to encourage others to value trees. Students can complete this activity in their workbooks or on the Student Worksheet.

Differentiated Learning

Extension: Students could publish their poem using an app or a computer. They could then record themselves reading the poem aloud, linking the recording to a QR code that can be placed on a printed copy of the poem, or on the class website. Students could research poems about trees written by other authors and create a short anthology of tree poems. Students could perform their poem as a monologue with background music that reflects the theme. Students could perform their poem using movement to reflect and enhance the language used in their poem. Students could explore the difference between similes and metaphors.

Provisional Learning Support: Teachers may need to assist individual students to write their poem, or help a small group of students write a poem together. Alternatively, the poetry-writing component could become a paired activity.

Outdoor Learning - Tree-rific Poems

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Students will...

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