First grade students are learning about the forest or woodlands habitat. We are describing the woodlands in the following ways:
- are mostly found in the Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, and parts of Russia, China, and Japan
- have changing seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter)
- get a good amount of rainfall
- have cold winters and hot summers
- have many animals that migrate or hibernate in winter
- have many different species of trees and plants
Students have discussed distinctions among deciduous and coniferous trees as well as distinctions among temperate and boreal forests. To extend our learning, once the weather allows us, we will head outdoors to collect a variety of leaf samples (coniferous and deciduous). Students will then record observations of each in their journals and conduct a simple experiment to better understand photosynthesis and how forests provide us with clean air to breathe.