Cycles - Winter Twigs

Focus: The winter twigs of each kind of tree are unique, but some of the features common to all show evidence of seasons past and hold promise for the coming spring.

Puppets (Tree (maple in winter), Henry, Dosie Deer, Gracie Grouse, Porcupine)

Materials Checklist
Puppet Show (puppets, script)
Total Twig (twigs, all the same kind, hand lenses, construction paper, tape, scissors, felt, yarn, dot stickers, optional drawing paper and pencils)
Twin Twigs (sets of 5 or 6 kinds of twigs, one set for each group and one set for the middle, optional twig diagram)
Be A Tree Fantasy (K-2) (Tree Fantasy script)
Tree Hunt (sets of fresh twigs from nearby trees; colored yarn, one color for each species of tree; sets of 3" colored yarn to match tree species; yarn to mark special tree)
Twig Key (sets of labeled twigs, masking tape to cover labels, large paper, markers)
Twig Nibble (large and small pretzel sticks, peanut butter and/or marshmallow spread, other edible construction materials - raisins, licorice whips, candy corn, paper plates or plain paper)
Keying Out Twigs (5/6 ELF) (Winter Twig Key, Winter Twig Diagram, freshly-cut twigs of 2-3 different kinds of trees)

Supplementary Reference Materials (Twig Diagram, 5/6 ELF Activity: Keying Out Twigs, 5/6 ELF Supplement: Twig Diagram, 5/6 ELF Supplement: Winter Twig Key, How to Be a Twig Detective, Some Clues for Twig Detectives, Shortened Tree Fantasy)

Additional Reading/Resources
Winter Twigs, by Helen M. Gilkey and Particia L. Packard, Oregon State University Press, Corvalis, OR, 1962.
Winter Tree Finder, by May T. Watts, Nature Study Guild, 1970.
On-line twig key from Virginia Tech
ELF Corner Birches from Vermont Nature Winter, 2005.

ELF Notes - Template for newsletter on Winter Twigs
* Word document * pdf file

For Younger Children
Many of the activities in VINS's new Small Wonders book can be used in ELF, too. To find appropriate activities for children aged 3-6, click here.

Teaching suggestions

Some ELF classes had students draw a twig at the beginning of the workshop and again at the end so the children could see how much they'd learned.
Bring in lots of samples of branches – 4 foot lengths in buckets. Forsythia, oak, alder, willows.
When collecting, cut twigs below at least one set of bud scale scars so that kids can see recent growth compared to last year's growth.

Total Twig
Start with a maple (opposite) twig and then add a poplar (nice, big, easily visible, alternate).

When you dress the twig, give it maple leaves since our arms are opposite.

Children love to have the teacher get dressed up as the twig. You might have children help put lenticels on the teacher-twig OR have children pretend to be critters that nibble on twigs.

Remember to force a twig before the workshop, if you can. Hobblebush is great.

Twin Twigs
Remind children that the twigs are similar, but not identical.
You may want to give each group of children a list of sample questions so they know what to ask.

Are buds opposite or alternate?
Is there one terminal (end) bud? None? Several?
Is the end bud pointy or rounded? Fuzzy or smooth?
Are there lenticels (white spots or lines on the twig)?
Is the twig fuzzy or smooth? Fat or thin?

For older students, you may want to label the duplicate set to help them learn names of some species.

With younger kids (K-2) play “I Spy” instead of twin twigs. Kids work in three groups with an adult at each group. Lay out the six twigs and say, “I spy a twig that is opposite and it has reddish buds.” etc.

Consider using the same 5-6 kinds of twigs for Twin Twigs that you will use outside on the playground for the Tree Hunt. This way, each group is already familiar with the twigs and has a bundle of twigs to start with. They can take them outside and find which of the color-tagged trees matches each of their twigs.

Tree Hunt
You may want to place nametags on the color-tagged trees outside so students have a chance to get to know what kinds they are.

With younger kids, don't make them tie yarn on their twigs with cold fingers. Stand by each tree and have them all hold up the twig that they think matches. Or use colored pipe cleaners.

Outside remember to also look at bark, branching, and shape of the trees, and help kids get a general idea of the variety of trees in the schoolyard or neighborhood.

Twig Key
Use yellow birch as your example. It is near the bottom of the key, so you have to go through lots of steps to figure it out – and it smells good!

Making the key look like a series of branch points (similar to a family tree) makes it easier for users to understand.

Extensions
Imagine a Tree: Give each child a piece of paper and a pencil plus a card with the name of one of the following trees that he/she will draw. Though the tree names are real, the finished sketch can be as imaginative as students would like. Give the children ten minutes to draw, and then have each come up to share their drawing. Trees: cottonwood, honey locust, tulip tree, basswood, hop-horn beam, weeping willow, thornapple, crab apple, moose maple, witch hazel, dogwood, muscle wood, winged elm, big toothed aspen, pignut hickory, pear tree, ironwood, apple tree.

Have children in pairs or small groups choose twigs from the neighborhood or schoolyard to force inside. (Or the leader may select twigs from several marked trees and have the children match their twig to the tree.) Have them keep a journal taking turns drawing the daily progress and recording how long it takes for buds to open and leaves or flowers to appear. Use the identification key or a tree book to identify the twig type. The journal could also include drawings of the original tree, noting the bud placement and branch pattern and where the prevailing sunlight comes from.

Closure
Rather than dressing up a student as a twig in Total Twig, one group pre-drilled holes in a stout tube. Children then inserted twigs in tube while commenting on something they noticed about their twig.

Bring out October's Meet a Tree poems when outside looking at trees. You could have groups do a winter poem of same tree!

Make whistles out of sumac twigs.

Learning Goals

Concepts/Ideas

• Careful examination of winter twigs reveals many distinguishing features and allows an understanding of the function each part serves in the life of a tree.
• Trees play an important role in food chains even when they are without leaves in winter. Many animals eat buds, bark and tender twigs.
• Different features on a twig give a miniature account of a tree's past, present and future.

Vocabulary twig, bud, bud scale, terminal bud, bud scale rings, leaf scars, bundle scars, lenticels, pith, alternate, opposite, whorled, food chain (definitions)

Skills

• Comparing some of the features of winter trees and observing variations among tree species outdoors.
• Actively listening and discussing the role of trees in food chains.
• Examining the parts of a twig using a hand lens to understand the functions of various parts.
• Making and using a key for identifying twigs from a variety of trees.
• Constructing a model of a twig showing its different parts.

Grade Expectations:
Grades PK-K (S30, S38) Trees are living plants. In winter, trees without leaves have buds that will grow into leaves and flowers in spring and summer. Tree twigs and bark are food for some animals.

Grades 1-2 (S30, S31) Trees are plants that grow and change with seasonal change. Some kinds of trees lose leaves in fall and develop buds on branches/twigs that will develop into new leaves and flowers in spring. Some animals depend on trees for food.

Grades 3-4 (S30, S31, S38) Trees have physical characteristics that help them to survive in cold winters. There are many different kinds of trees. They may be sorted into groups according to similarities and differences of features of twigs/branches.

Grades 5-6 (S38) Trees may be grouped according to similarities and differences in structure and arrangement of twigs/branches. Particular characteristics are used to identify a specific kind of tree.

Return to February or March ELF.