If Trees Could Talk Curriculum

Trees In Your Own Backyard

Take a Child Outside Week, is September 24-30, 2008 and the Forest History Society has a module that's perfect for the week.  "Trees In Your Own Backyard" from the If Trees Could Talk middle school, Environmental History curriculum, is an excellent module to use during Take a Child Outside Week or anytime this school year to help students discover the natural world that surrounds them.  "Trees In Your Own Backyard " has students survey trees in their schoolyard and itemize their various benefits.  They will consider human impacts on trees in the city landscape and the responsibility of citizens for preserving the urban forest.  This is a great module to get students outdoors and easy to implement, without planning a major field trip.

If Trees Could Talk Gains National Recognition

If Trees Could Talk was designed to bring environmental education into the social studies classroom, as well as provide opportunities for team teaching collaborations with science, math, English and technology classes. If Trees Could Talk continues to gain national recognition. Links to this curriculum are currently found on over 50 national and state organization web pages.

Some things being said about If Trees Could Talk by various websites:

"A wealth of information on trees and accompanying lesson plans." ~ National Public Lands Day

"Many of the activities can be completed as extensions, modifications, or adaptations to PLT activities." ~ Branch (the national newsletter of Project Learning Tree, Summer 2007.)

"Awesome lessons about Environmental History and Forests!"
~ Maryland State Department of Education

Forest History Society at 2008 NAAEE Conference

FHS Presents at the 2008 NAAEE Conference

The Forest History Society will be presenting at the 2008 NAAEE Conference, “EE on the Prairie,” in Wichita , Kansas , October 17 th & 18 th . If you will be at the conference, please come join us:

Friday, Oct. 17 th , 9:30-10:15am : “The Greatest Good Film: Bridging the Gap in Communities Nationwide.”
- Educators learn to incorporate portions of The Greatest Good film into the social studies, science, & math classroom.

Saturday, Oct. 18 th , 9:30-10:15am : “Conservation Education Can Revitalize Social Studies: Focus Middle School ”
- Learn more about how the If Trees Could Talk curriculum uses history to awaken students to their connections to the land.

Saturday, Oct. 18 th , 2:45-3:30pm : “Living in a Global Forest; Environmental Justice Goes Beyond National Borders”
- Focuses on If Trees Could Talk , Module 8; discuss where wood comes from now and analyze global efforts to manage world's forests.

Recently Published by the
Forest History Society

New Issues Series Booklets

The Forest History Society Issues Series consists of booklets that bring a historical context to today's most pressing issues in forestry and natural resource management. These books aim to present a balanced account of often controversial issues and would be an excellent resource for any educator or for possible use as a high school text.