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Let's Talk About Trees!

After visiting Columbia State Park and Mercer Caverns on the way up, Clay Elementary arrived at Sierra Outdoor School Tuesday afternoon. They started off their first day at SOS with "Talk About Trees," a one-hour class dedicated to discussion on the uses of trees, tree classification, and tree physiology. This class includes hands-on activities, as you can see in the picture below. The students are portraying the different parts of trees, including the heartwood, xylem, phloem, cambium, and bark (not pictured). Linscott also had a Talk About Trees class later Tuesday evening after enjoying the Stories in Stone presentation on their way up to SOS.


During Talk About Trees, the students get their own tree cookies which they personalize with their name on one side and their creative nature name on the other. They also learn a fun "rap," which goes like this:

Let's Talk About Trees.
Let's Talk About Trees.
Let's talk about why we need trees.
How do we use them, what do they give?
When they're cut and when they live?

Let's Talk About Trees.
Let's Talk About Trees.
What does it take to be a tree?
What are the parts, what happens in the leaves?
Deciduous and Evergreen?

Let's Talk About Trees. 
Let's Talk About Trees.
What can we do to help the trees?
Preserve, conserve, take only what we need?
Educate ourselves in Ecology.

Parents, you should ask your student to sing it for you! The beat is very catchy. Today, Clay is taking Wilderness Skills and Earth & Beyond during the day, and will be dissecting owl pellets and learning some fun dances during their evening programs. Linscott is also taking Earth & Beyond this morning, followed by Forest Life this afternoon. They'll be making their own arrowheads tonight and going on a night hike. Check back later for more pictures!

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