Activity Name: Trees – Resource Hunters
Time Required: 5 – 10 minutes
Ages: 4-12
Introduction: This activity is an example from nature that will demonstrate how a living thing demonstrates resource resilience. Using pictures or actual plants you will be able to discuss the concept of resource resilience.
What you need:
- Pictures of trees (provided as a part of the lesson)
or
- Actual plant or miniature tree
Instructions: With this activity you will start by showing a picture of a tree or plant and asking the question? How does this plant or tree grow? Where does it get its food or water? With younger kids you may point out that a plant or tree cannot get up and move around looking for food and water the way animals can, but they have to get the nutrients (food) and water it needs in other ways.
This conversation will bring out the idea that a tree has roots that absorb water and nutrients in the ground. However, it has to keep looking for them so its roots grow and reach out through the ground looking for the resources around in the soil to feed it since it doesn’t have a mouth or the ability to move. You will want to show a picture of what a plant or tree looks like under the ground (showing all of its roots) or pull the plant from its planter or container to expose its roots (you could even plant it, care for it, and pull it out later showing how the roots have spread searching for more water and nutrients).
You can now go for a walk outside looking for examples of where tree roots have breached the surface of the ground in areas surrounding the tree searching for water and nutrients.
Discuss:
Why are the branches growing out from the trunk of the tree? What is it searching for?
How do plants use what is has close by to live and survive?
What resources does it use to grow?
What resources do we use close at hand that help us live and survive?