Using the Going Green Song (Animated Music Video), students learn all about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle and so much more through a catchy video!
This Tree Swing Reading Comprehension Worksheet has 5th graders read a two-page science passage about building a safe swing, answer five questions, and check their thinking with the included answer key.
Plant one, learn a ton
Arbor Day, celebrated in the United States on the last Friday in April, is a day for planting and caring for trees. Fifth graders learn why trees matter: they make oxygen, clean the air, prevent soil erosion and give homes to animals. Older students also connect trees to bigger ideas like ecosystems, the water cycle and protecting the environment. The click moment is when students realize one tree they plant today could still be growing when they are grandparents.
Arbor Day is a great chance to mix science, reading and service. These are the moves we use.
Open the day with a going-green song and have students list every way the song shows caring for the earth. Use the list to plan a class action, like a recycling station or a tree planting.
Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).
Try it withGoing Green Song (Animated Music Video)SongsOpen it →Give students a short tree-themed reading passage and a few questions. A quick reading check keeps comprehension skills sharp, even on a holiday.
Why it works: a big review of study methods ranked quick self-quizzing among the most powerful ways to remember (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withTree Swing Reading Comprehension WorksheetAssessmentsOpen it →Each student cuts out a tree and writes one fact about how trees help the planet. Put them on a wall to grow a class forest that teaches visitors.
Why it works: going from real objects to pictures to symbols is a core recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.
Try it withTree Cut OutsActivitiesOpen it →Teacher favorites right now: Going Green Song (Animated Music Video) and Tree Swing Reading Comprehension Worksheet.
National Arbor Day in the United States is the last Friday in April. Some states celebrate on a different date that fits their best tree-planting season.
Planting a tree or seeds, measuring trees, reading about forests, and learning how trees help the environment all work well. A small service project, like a school cleanup, makes it meaningful.
It reminds us that trees give us oxygen, clean air, shade and homes for wildlife. It also encourages people to plant and care for trees in their communities.
Plant a tree or a small seedling, go on a nature walk to identify trees, or make a leaf collection.
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