Bark Rubbings
Objectives:
Students will identify and describe patterns in bark that allow identification of different trees. Another objective is that they will have fun in your class and enjoy school.
Materials:
Crayons, paper and two different types of trees.
Procedure:
Give each student a sheet of paper. Have them draw a line down the middle of the page. Have each student choose a single crayon. Have the students peel the paper off the crayon they chose. Now take the class out to a tree.
1. Hold the paper onto the bark of the tree.
2. Lay the crayon flat and rub it on the paper on the LEFT side of the line ONLY until an image of the bark is clear.
3. Now proceed to a different type of tree and do the same on the OTHER side of the line.
4. Return to the classroom
5. Have the students explain why you can still identify which tree made which bark image even when the page is turned around. What are the characteristics of each type of bark that makes the rubbings appear different?
Close:
This kind of activity helps students notice the differences in plants. Now write a short explanation of what we did and what we learned. Or perhaps write a comparison of the two tree barks using lots of adjectives to provide detail. Write a short sentence or two that will help someone else determine which tree was which. What patterns do you look for? Mount the rubbing and writing on a sheet of color paper for a project page.
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