Resources for Educators

Classroom resources from VDOF

• Forest Facts learning pages and puzzles
  • How A Tree Grows: How A Tree Grows | puzzle
  • Identifying Trees Identifying Trees | puzzle
  • Why We Need Trees: Why We Need Trees | puzzle
  • Trees Protect Water: Trees Protect Water | puzzle
  • Forestry in Virginia: Forestry in Virginia | puzzle
  • Virginia In The Fall: fall foliage information | puzzle
• Common Native Trees of Virginia book (English; PDF format).
• Forestry glossary
• Virtual Reality Forest Tour - of our forests! QuickTime and slide show format.
• Teaching tools from the Society of American Foresters - http://www.safnet.org/education/educators.cfm

State Forest Tree Trunks

State Forest Tree Trunks make field trips to a State Forest fun and educational. The trunks contain materials and lesson plans relevant to State Forests, but most of the activities could be used on any forested area. Educators – from school teachers to youth group leaders – can preview the lesson plans on this web site and borrow a Tree Trunk to enhance their field trip experience.

Locations and How to Borrow:Tree Trunks may be checked out free of charge for use on the following State Forests, or areas nearby. (Other forests may be added in the near future.)

• Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest (Appomattox and Buckingham counties) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Appomattox-Buckingham” in the subject line.
• Cumberland State Forest (Cumberland County) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Cumberland” in the subject line.
• Prince-Edward-Gallion State Forest (Prince Edward County, south of Farmville) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Prince Edward- Gallion” in the subject line.
• Conway Robinson (Prince William County, near Gainesville) – Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Conway Robinson” in the subject line.
• Matthews State Forest (Carroll County, near Galax) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Matthews” in the subject line.
• Whitney State Forest (Fauquier County, near Warrenton) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Whitney” in the subject line.
• Zoar State Forest (King William County, near Aylett) - Contact stateforest@dof.virginia.gov with “Zoar” in the subject line.

Tree Trunk Lesson Plans: Educators are encouraged to preview or download forest information and lesson plans prior to planning a trip. (These can also be found in the notebook in each Tree Trunk.) The activities in the Tree Trunks encourage student interaction and inquiry about many aspects of the forest.

• Tree Trunk Activity Overview
• Forest Sense – grades K-12
• ID That Tree – grades 4-12. Tree keys: Central VA State Forests | Conway Robinson | Matthews | Whitney | Zoar |
• A Tree for Me – grades K-5
• Plots and Plans – grades 6-12
• Measuring Up – grades 6-12
• Could I Live Here? – grades 3-7
• Trees in Trouble – grades 3-8 (not available online; activity # 77 from Project Learning Tree PreK-8 guide, page 332)
• The Future Forest? - Grades 6-12
• Pests Gone Wild – Grades 6-12
• Success(ion) Stories

Project Learning Tree

• Virginia
• National

Forest education links

• Forestry OutReach Site (FORSite) - a forestry educational site for Virginia schools.
• 4-H Virtual Forest Tour
• 4-H forestry materials
• Virginia Big Tree Program
• U.S. Forest Service conservation education.
• Virginia Naturally Visit Virginia's Environmental Education Initiative.
• Wildfire prevention training
• F.R.E.E. - Forest Resource Environmental Education. This site is for teachers and students at all grade levels who want to learn more about forests and the management of forests.
• Life of the Forest International Paper website offers posters and educational materials.
• Wood Magic
• Forestry Images

Other resources

• Project WET Water Education for Teachers.
• Project Wild wildlife-related activities for many educational settings.

Last modified: Monday, 11-Mar-2013 10:56:27 EDT