Treehouses: Look Who's Living in the Trees

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Program Materials

This TreeHouses exhibit activity guide invites educators to share the many wonders of trees and their inhabitants with children and their caregivers. Trees serve as habitat to a wide array of animals. They are also a tremendous resource for humans. The TreeHouses exhibit explores both of these environmental attributes.

The TreeHouses exhibit investigates the scat and tracks of woodland animals, their adaptations, the sounds they make, and the signs that they leave behind. It also delves into the many uses of trees and the importance of sustainable forestry. The activities in this education guide aim to instill a sense of wonder in children, while also moving them to become environmental stewards. Because trees are such a vital resource for both humans and non-humans, it is important for our younger generations to harbor this sense of stewardship.

The guide is organized by theme and corresponds to the various exhibit components. For each theme, there is at least one activity provided. In addition, each topic has background information to better equip educators who are facilitating the presentations. The tree house activities are geared for children, grades K-5.

Foundation support for the Tree Houses education guide generously provided by:

Davis Family Foundation, Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust, Aristotle Fund, and The Roy A. Hunt Foundation.

Educator Guide and Activities

Introduction

Animal Adaptations

  • Adaptations Bingo
  • Forest Perfume

Animal Signs

  • Tricky Tracks
  • Whose Scat is That?
  • Dissect-a-Pellet

Animal Homes

  • Animal Home Scavenger Hunt
  • Home as Habitat

Tree Houses

  • Tree House Dream Come True

Tree Products

  • Delicious Trees

Stewardship

  • Tree Planting Ceremony

Tree Life Cycle

  • Traveling Seeds

Sustainability

  • Terrific Trees

Bibliography

Supplemental Materials

TreeHouses Bingo Boards

Tree Images

Tree House Images

Animal Images

Animal Sounds