PLT’s Teaching with i-Tree Unit (English), includes three hands-on activities that help middle and high school students discover and analyze the many ecosystem services that trees provide. Available as a PDF download, activities can be used in formal classrooms or nonformal groups, such as scouts, afterschool programs, or with visitors at a nature centers or park.

The activities incorporate the use of i-Tree Design software, a free, state-of-the-art online tool developed by the U.S. Forest Service and its partners.

Activities are designed to move the learner from awareness and knowledge to challenge and action.

Activity 1: Tree Benefits and Identification - Students become aware of the many products we obtain from trees, how we all depend on trees in our daily lives, and the value that trees provide to communities and the environment.

Activity 2: Tree Value - Students participate in a field study as they identify, measure, and assess the health of trees.

Activity 3: Land Manager Role Play - Students are challenged to apply what they’ve learned in the first two activities as they roleplay being land managers.

For information on how to obtain PLT curriculum material and to contact your state PLT Coordinator, please visit the Project Learning Tree website: www.plt.org/trainings/attend-a-training.