Introduction

The largest celebration of trees in the UK, National Tree Week, is held at the end of November. This is the winter tree planting season, and people taking part plant trees to mark the event.

Trees provide us with oxygen and store carbon, reducing the effects of global warming. They also provide habitats for animals and other plants. Their wood is used to build homes and make many products that we use every day. Some trees can provide us with medicine; quinine, which treats malaria, comes from the cinchona tree found in South America.

Nobody knows exactly how many tree species exist, but scientists think it may be more than 70,000! Some species of tree, like the bristlecone pine, can live for thousands of years. The oldest one is thought to be over 5,000 years old!

Learn more about trees in this video.

Teaching Ideas and Resources

• Download the Tree Planting Guide from the Tree Council to find out the best way to plant a tree.
• Go outside and make a list of different trees that you can see. The Woodland Trust has an app to help you identify them.
• Estimate the height of a tree in this activity from the Campaign for School Gardening.
• Make leaf rubbings from different trees.
• Download and use the resources in our popular Plants Pack.

Resources

Members of Teaching Packs have access to a wide range of resources to use during National Tree Week, and at many other times of the year. Join us here!

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