Lesson 6

The Giving Tree

Objectives:

• Students will identify key points in a story. 

• Students will identify things that come from trees.

Time Required:

• Two to three hours

Vocabulary:

• giving

Materials:

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  This is a tale of a friendship between a tree and a boy.  When the boy was young, he would climb the tree, swing from the branches, eat the apples, sleep in her shade but when the boy grows up he no longer wants to do any of those things with the tree.  Later when boy needed a house, the tree gave him her branches.  When the boy became an old man, he needed a quiet place to sit and rest so he sat on the tree stump and the tree was happy once again.

• The Giving Tree Chart handout and Answers to chart for teacher

• Word Processing Program

• Card making software such as PrintShop or American Greetings, etc.

• Internet

Procedures:

• Read The Giving Tree  Explain that the story is a tree's story about how he helped a boy throughout his life.  As you read the story aloud to the children discuss some other ways the tree could have been useful to the boy at each stage of the boy's life.   For example, the boy plays on a swing from the tree.  How else could the boy have played on tree (the boy could have built a tree house or climbed the tree, etc.).   Also the tree gave the boy his branches to build a house.  What else could the boy do with the tree's branches (build furniture, sell the branches for money, etc.).

• After reading the story use the three column chart to show what the tree and the boy gave each other and what else the the boy could have done with what the tree gave him as previously done in the discussion while reading the story.  Ask students what gifts the tree and the boy gave each other at various stages of the boy's life.  Students will work in pairs and complete the chart.  Print out the chart and have them do a rough draft with pencil.   Once students are complete they can construct their own chart using any word processing program.  If students have never done a table then you would need to do a mini-lesson on creating tables and charts.

• Have students use any card making software such as PrintShop or American Greetings and create thank you cards from the boy to the tree for his kindness and generosity throughout his life.

Evaluation:

• Students will be evaluated on their responses in the chart.

Extension Activities:

• Students can send Apple Postcards to someone.   Students click on the picture they want and can send an apple postcard to someone.   There are also other activities in this site such as coloring.

Home Learning:

• Discuss with students how trees provide us with many useful foods and materials.  For home learning, have students create a simple tree shape and make a list of things that come from a tree and list them on the branch of the tree.  Students can do this in any drawing program in the computer or they can simply draw and write.  Have students share their list with the class the next day.

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