What’s it all about?

National Tree Week was started in 1975 and marks the beginning of the winter tree planting season. The purpose is to involve as many people as possible in planting, caring for and enjoying trees and woods. Getting involved provides a great chance for schools and communities to do something positive for their local landscape.

Classroom ideas

Trees are particularly important in the fight against climate change because they remove carbon dioxide from the air, which is why planting new trees is so significant.

Why not explain the scientific process of how trees work in a slide show or using interactive whiteboard software?

Develop the theme by dividing the class into teams and designing posters for a display based on what has been discovered.

You could also promote discussion about what types of trees are in pupils’ own communities and create collages of leaves for each type of tree.

For a broader activity, you could arrange a tree-planting session in a local park or on the school grounds, which the whole school can get involved in. Lots more information on trees and woods can be found at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Help, I have got no time to prepare

The Woodland Trust has thousands of free resources for schools on its nature detectives website www.naturedetectives.org.uk. These include games, puzzles, charts and activities all centred on nature and the outdoors.

Where do I get more information?

The TES website has plenty of resources linked to National Tree Week. Visit www.tes.co.uknational-tree-week.