Youth Environmental Literacy Programs

Elementary

Students expand their awareness of trees and the urban environment. Hands-on activities include planting flowers in tree beds, planting seeds, keeping a nature journal, collecting leaves and creating an herbarium. Lessons can be customized for each class from a 1-hour visit to a 4-hour course. Learning materials include TNY's Street Tree Activity Book. Offered as an after-school, in-school or summer program. NYS Learning Standards fulfilled: Arts 1, Science LE 1,3,4,5,6,&7, PS 1,2 &3, Social Studies 3.1, 5.3, 5.4, English 1

Middle School

Students investigate the environmental benefits of NYC's urban forest and formulate solutions for its problems. Hands-on activities include creating a tree journal, surveying neighborhood trees and requesting new trees from the Parks Dept website. Lessons include tree identification, photosynthesis, transpiration, Asian Longhorned Beetle and other tree pests. Lessons can be customized for each class from a 1-hour visit to a 4-hour course. Learning materials include TNY's Urban Leaf and Tree Handbook. Offered as an after-school, in-school or summer program. NYS Learning Standards fulfilled: Science LE1, 5

High School

Students investigate the environmental benefits of urban trees, research ways to improve the health of NYC's urban forest and gain mastery of tree biology and tree identification. Hands-on activities include tree care and pruning, tree journaling, tree surveys, and neighborhood activism. Lessons include photosynthesis, transpiration, Asian Longhorned Beetle, urban heat island effect, NYC watershed issues, global warming, and a discussion of green careers. Materials include the TNY Urban Forest Workbook. Learning Standards fulfilled: Science 5.1

Young Urban Forester

Students are encouraged to use critical thinking and problem solving skills to make responsible decisions while studying urban forestry and related social issues. The 10 hour program consists of four hours of classroom training and six hours of hands-on experience in the field covering urban forest conservation, restoration and planning, trees and storm water runoff, invasive species in NYC, climate change and carbon sequestration, air and water quality, NYC's watershed, urban heat island effect, conducting a tree inventory using GPS units and analyzing data. It is offered as an after-school, in-school or summer program. Learning materials include TNY's Young Citizen Pruner manual or TNY's Street Tree Advocacy Handbook. Learning Standards fulfilled: Science 5.1

The Art of Science

Students create original works of art such as writing and performing songs, dances or plays, making films, drawing cartoons or creating art and sculpture demonstrating their knowledge of tree science and environmental issues. Acting out the play, "The Brave Little Tree," elementary students understand how a newly planted street tree suffers transplant shock and how they can help. Middle schoolers might create a puppet show demonstrating tree biology. High school students might create a video showing their ideas on how to help the environment. Works can be incorporated into a public performance, school assembly or art show. Materials include art supplies and TNY publications. This hands-on creative arts approach is taught by our resident artist, Cheryl Blaylock. Cheryl's extensive credits include acting, puppeteering and designing shows such as Sesame Street, Eureeka's Castle and Blue's Clues. Learning Standards: Arts 1, Science LE 1,3,4,5,6,&7, PS 1,2 &3

Schools & Trees

TNY supplies and helps students plant trees on school property free of charge as part of any of our educational programs. Each tree planted will be "One In A Million" and can be registered with Mayor Bloomberg's MillionTreesNYC initiative.

A TNY representative will visit the school, analyze the site and suggest the tree that would work best, meet with the principal, custodian, teachers and/or parent association members to plan the planting event and continued care for the trees, prepare the planting site, provide trees and supplies needed for planting, provide tools and safety equipment for the students to use while planting, supervise the planting event, visit the classroom and talk about the benefits of trees and how to care for them. Learning materials include TNY's Schools & Trees Activity Handbook.

School Assembly

A lecture/demonstration and slide show presented by a Trees New York representative and featuring a special appearance by either Steward the Treeture© for elementary students or Mrs. Crabapple for middle and high school students. Topics covered are benefits of trees to the NYC environment, tree biology, tree identification, street tree care, tree problems and how we can help, tree advocacy and New York City environmental issues.