Musical Trees Activity
Activity Information:
Grade Level: Primary to Intermediate
(Updated from Kids for Trees, developed by FORED BC for intermediate grades 4-7)
Big Ideas:
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Dance, drama, music, & visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating (K-7)
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Plants and animals have observable features
Materials: "Trees in Our Lives" worksheet (included) & Naturally Wood plus tree identification posters
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Objectives:
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Students will be able to identify local tree species that are used in musical instruments
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Students will be able to share and record their observations and explore personal experience, community, & culture through arts
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Curricular Competencies:
Students are expected to know the following:
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Local First Peoples uses of plants and animals
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Characteristics of local plants, animals and fungi
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Processes, materials, technologies, tools and techniques to support arts activities
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Traditional & contemporary Aboriginal Arts & arts-making processes
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Skills:
Students are expected to be able to do the following:
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Make and record observations using their senses
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Experience and interpret the local environment
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Ask questions about familiar objects and events
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Express & reflect on personal experiences of place
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Demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world
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Pre-Class Preparation:
The teacher will need to make the following preparations prior to class: make copies of the below worksheet for each group of students. Have copies of tree identification posters handy to identify local tree species that could be used to make the items on the worksheet. "From the bigleaf maple and white birch to the red alder and trembling aspen, BC's hardwood species are used to make such beautiful wood products as flooring, cabinetry and furniture, as well as musical instruments, interior millwork, and more."
Hint: this British Columbia website Naturally Wood has a ton of info about common trees in BC and their uses, developed by government, academe and industry sources.
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Suggested Instructional Strategies:
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You’re a team of explorers on a mission to unlock hidden secrets! Your task is to uncover the mysteries of
the worksheet. -
Select a Storyteller, the brave explorer who will present your discoveries to the rest of the class.
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Choose a Chronicler, the one who records every important clue your team finds.
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The rest of the crew are Idea Adventurers—your job is to think outside the box, fuel creativity, and help solve
the puzzle!
Feel free to move around—find a cozy spot by the window or even stand up while you work. The more fun, the better!
Suggestion: Invite someone with forestry-related expertise from the Indigenous community or another industry professional chat via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Visit Indigenous Resource Network or the Forest Professionals of BC or Young Canadians For Resources for contacts who might help.​
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Your Mission: Uncover the Secret Lives of Trees!​
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Gather your team of explorers and dive into the “Trees in Our Lives Worksheet” (below). Discuss each item with your crew, and have your Chronicler mark Yes or No (Y/N) beside each thing someone has experienced or used.
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Next, review the items you’ve marked with a “Yes.” Think like a true explorer: where in your community could you find this activity or product? It could be an art store, a park, or even the school stage. The Chronicler will write down your ideas under ‘Where to Find That Product.’ You can even explore online (with a guide, of course)!
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Now, it’s time to become Tree Detectives. Using tree identification tools or printouts, discover what tree species are used to make these products. Can you find these trees in your neighborhood or a nearby park? Maybe a walk through a local forest will reveal their secrets!
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Once your discoveries are complete, team up to help your Storyteller prepare to share your journey with the class. Remember, trees have a hand in everything from music and art to literature and theatre, and now you’ve uncovered the mysteries they hold! ​
Worksheet Preview:
Suggestion: The class can make their own musical instruments and put up a group performance (“Explorers in concert”) at the end; refer to this quick activity: My Pinecone Banjo - Homemade Instruments, Inspirational DIY Nature Crafts
Extensions:
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Make a musical instrument from recycled materials - CBC News.
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Making music from trees. Or Grow an Ethical, Sustainable Guitar Forest.
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Invite local First Peoples into your class to share their knowledge of how trees are used in their culture and demonstrate (eg. cedar for basket weaving, drumming)
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Make a display showing others how trees are used.
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Did you know cardboard (a product that is made from trees) is used in ballet pointe shoes? But contrary to popular perception, the toes are not made from blocks of wood.
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Yamaha describes what goes into their keyboards.
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Rayon used in dance and theatre costumes comes from cellulose
in wood pulp.
​For more ideas on wood products we rely on, see our YouTube video, called What Gifts From Nature Did You Use Today?
Download a PDF of
Musical Trees Activity: