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Forest Discovery Guide Online / Our Forest
Main Ideas
Forests have always played a vital role in the life and economy of our region. There are many aspects of forests, forestry practices and careers to explore
Our Forest explores historical aspects of Northeastern forests and explains early forestry practices. North America's First Nations people had a special connection with the the forest. With the arrival of fur traders, and later, European settlers, the rich supply of timber assured the region's place in shipbuilding and timber exports.
Our Forest highlights the series of six videos, Our Forest,
Our Future. This series explores the use, management and harvesting
of the forest as well as some of the more difficult questions pertaining
to forestry. To conclude, many career opportunities associated with the
forest industry and the skills necessary for employment are examined.
Video Brief
Scene 1
Introduction to the series Our Forest, Our Future
Scene 2
History of Northeastern forests
Scene 3
Forestry in our past
Scene 4
Preview of Video 2 Seed to Harvest to Seed
Scene 5
Preview of Video 3 From Trees to Products
Scene 6
Preview of Video 4 Using the Forest Resource
Scene 7
Preview of Video 5 Dealing with the Issues
Scene 8
Preview of Video 6 Skills for the Future
Before viewing Our Forest lead the class in a discussion about the forest and the ways in which they think of the forest being used.
- How was it different for our ancestors? First Nations people?
- What has changed about the forest and its use?
- Consider the products we use every day which have their origins in the forest.
- How would life be different without them?
Are there any questions your students may have regarding forestry practices or career opportunities available in this area?
Set . . .
While viewing Our Forests, ask the students to watch carefully and be prepared to list the varied subjects which deal with the forests and forest industry. These can be listed on the board to spark interest and provide subjects for further research or discussion.
Go!
The following activities and resources are designed to complement this
video. They are not intended as an exhaustive list of things to do, merely
as a starting point. Please add your own activities -- others will be grateful
you did!
Digging into the Discovery Box
Throughout this guide a variety of activities are suggested to make use
of the varied contents of the Forest Discovery Box. Either before
or after viewing Our Forest, spend some time with the students "digging
into the box" to become familiar with the contents and to brainstorm
some ideas on how to make use of this resource. Have fun!
1. Read about the forest. (Language Arts)
2. Share a legend! (Social Studies/Language Arts)
3. The Man who Planted Trees (Social Studies/Language Arts/Science)
4. Make a forest collage! (Art)
5. Past, Present & Future! (Technology/Social Studies/Art/Language Arts)
6. What's an urban forest? (Science/Language Arts)
7. Provincial/State Trees (Social Studies/Language Arts/Art/Science)
8. Find-A-Word puzzle (2 versions & answer key)
9. Crossword puzzle (& answer key)
The video Our Forest provides a great opportunity to begin an inter-disciplinary unit, ideal for teams of teachers at the middle school level. Below you will find a few student activities and suggestions for teaching - you'll have more great ones of your own!
View the video together to provide a starting place for discussion of
the forest and what it means in terms of history, jobs, recreation, conservation
and as a habitat for plants and animals.
There are numerous authors who write stories and poems about forests.
Go to the library (or surf the Internet) and choose one to read alone or
share with the class. Write your own poem or story about a special time
you spent in the forest, or better yet, a time which you could imagine spending
in the forest.
Your library probably has collections of First Nations legends which
can be read individually or by the teacher. Notice how the forest plays
a key role in many of these legends. Why not write your own legend? Before
doing so, invite a First Nations guest into your classroom to talk about
the spiritual beliefs of native people and ask him/her to bring examples
of symbols which have very special meaning to their people. This will set
the stage for a more realistic setting for your story. Good luck and have
fun!
- by Jean Giono
- narrated by Christopher Plummer
This excellent animated video is available in French or English by contacting
the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). It is a story of a man's generosity
to nature. Alone with his sheep and dog he daily plants one hundred acorns.
This he does for a lifetime. This video is an excellent tool to promote
thoughtful dialogue about caring for our forests, why we should all be concerned,
and how one person really can make a difference.
Collect pictures which can be presented in a collage to represent your
own forest community. Use old magazines to cut out pictures of animals and
birds, insects and plants, trees and streams, etc.
Our Forest gives a very brief overview of the impact of the forests and the forest industry on all of us. Many changes have occurred since this region was first populated and the advancements through technology will assure even more change in the future.
Work in groups of three or four and draw pictures which represent your community, past, present, and future! (Each student can be responsible for an era.) Do some brainstorming to determine just how different your community looks now compared to the way it used to look. Maybe you can ask some older friends or relatives about their recollections of the community when they were young. Go to the library and search for historical accounts of early settlement. Do not forget traditional use of the land by First Nations people.
Now imagine what this community might look like 25 years from now. Will there be trees? forests? Depict your ideas on paper.
When the class has finished their assignments, invite some of the more
interesting interview subjects into the class to share their thoughts on
the past, present or future.
Trees located in our towns and cities are called "urban trees." You may not have thought about these trees doing anything more than providing attractive landscaping! They remove carbon dioxide from the air and they help to produce the oxygen we breathe. They also act as barriers, and shelter us from the wind and rain. And let's not forget the wonderful shade they provide! The squirrels, chipmunks, and birds which take up residence there are very thankful for their presence.
The life of an urban tree can be the pits, however! People swing from their branches, and cars and lawn mowers regularly run into them. Many are surrounded by concrete. (very hot in the summer!!)
Write a short story based on a day in the life of an urban tree. Give
your tree a name. Does your tree ever think of moving to the cool forest
or is it worried about being harvested there? Can you think of another location?
Be creative! Be humorous! Have fun!
Objective: Students will learn about their provincial/state tree and its importance. Via the Internet, or through letters, make contact with children in other provinces/states with whom they can share information.
Provincial trees are called Arboreal Emblems. The arboreal emblem for Canada is a maple tree which represents the ten species of maple native to Canada - a generic maple tree. Maple trees have been used as a symbol of Canada for many years - you see it on our flag, and on everything from maple syrup to furniture products.
Ask the students to discover their provincial/state tree. Discuss with the class why this tree may have been chosen. Through the Internet, make contact with a school in each of the other provinces/states to share information about their provincial/state tree. Information should include the following: Why was this particular tree chosen? What are the characteristics of the tree? Is it used in any special way for wood products?
Your students may wish to share more than just this information with their new friends on the Internet. Further suggestions might be the provincial/state flower, animal or other symbol particular to their province/state.
Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories |
Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon |
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri |
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming |
Download Crossword Puzzles and Word-Finds with answer keys in Adobe Acrobat format. You can then print off as many copies as you need. Acrobat Reader is available from Adobe's Website for free, and is available for all operating systems.
Puzzles (Around 250k)