5th Grade Forest Conservation Tour
Every year in the third week of May, groups of students explore the world of forest ecology hands-on, at the 5th Grade Forest Conservation Tour in Whatcom County. This 2.5 hour interpretive outdoor tour is led by forestry and earth science professionals.
If special accommodations are needed, please indicate that in the online form. This opportunity is open to all educators and 5th grade youth.
To register a group contact: ckahle@wsu.edu
Sponsors
National Park Service – North Cascades National Park
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Whatcom County Farm Forestry Association
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Links
Washington Trails Association Online
Washington Forest Protection Association
WA Contract Loggers Association
Society of American Foresters (Directory of sites)
https://www.eforester.org
American Forests Organization
http://www.americanforests.org/
Dichotomous Tree Identifier
http://oregonstate.edu/trees/
Environmental Kids Club
http://www.epa.gov/students/index.html
National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
https://neefusa.org
Washington Nature Mapping Project (U of W)
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/
Request more INFO
and/or
Reserve a Space
Request info / Reserve Space
online form
Links
– Transportation Scholarships (pdf)
– Suggestions for a Successful Forest Tour
– Guidelines for dress & conduct while on the tour
Additional Teaching Resources
Activities Understanding Chemistry and Systems in the Forest Tour
Support materials created by Jared Ogle.
There are several practical components of science education that youth are exposed to when exploring an ecological environment such as a forest.
Several concepts are not exclusive to any one of the Forest Tour Stations. Some of these concepts run through the all the forest tour are addressed here as an additional extensions. An example is photosynthesis. It is mentioned several times on the tour, and understanding how the process works will aid understanding in all of the stations. The concepts presented are not covered exhaustively, but provided as a reference.
Systems – Forest Tour (pdf)
Energy Flow (pdf)
Photosynthesis and Respiration (pdf)
Decomposition (pdf)
Conservation of Matter and Energy (pdf)
Some concepts are not mentioned in the forest tour, but the are presented here as an additional learning opportunities.
The forest tour is organized due to land; however, it is not specifically recommended to cover the subjects in the order of the tour.
Some Washington State Learning Standards are supported by the Forest Tour either in part or in full. A table showing standard alignment for the tour as a whole and for each station is available here. Some Common Core Standards are supported by the Forest Tour either in part or in full.
GLAD Strategies for Content and Vocabulary
Pictorial Input
- Tree Cross Section (pdf)
- Tree and Fungus (pdf)
- Where do trees get their building materials? (pdf)
Compare and Contrast
- Tree, Healthy and Stressed (pdf)
- Trees, Evergreen and Deciduous (pdf)
- Biotic and Abiotic (pdf)
Frayer Diagrams
- Wilderness (pdf)
- Soil (pdf)
Sorting Activities
- Ecosystems – Biotic, Abiotic, Manmade, Natural (pdf)
- Food Web – Plant, animal, fungus, producer, consumer, decomposer (pdf)
Reference List
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993). Benchmarks for Science Literacy. New York, Oxford University Press.
Barke, H-D., Hazari, Al, Yitbarek, Sileshi (2009). Misconceptions in Chemistry, Addressing Perceptions in Chemical Education. Berlin, Springer-Verlag.