We have all heard of Johnny Appleseed, but do you recall who Julius Sterling Morton is? He is the man who founded Arbor Day! Have your children do research to find out why.

To celebrate further, learn about trees and brainstorm their importance. How would life be different without them?

Perhaps you can plant one at your school, at home, or in a park. Would your class or grade group be able to take up a collection? Some areas have town, city, or county programs that allow citizens to pay for planting a tree. If you are lucky, you may even help to plant it. I have already planted three!

Have each student bring in a variety of paper products. Cut out a rectangle of one, glue it to a piece of writing paper, and write about it. Make a collage of the remainder on bulletin-board paper and hang the students' writings around it.

For fun and research, assign children to find out from which tree they fell! (This is like astrological signs but there are three-four trees per month.) With each tree, there is a character description. Do you think it really fits you? Personally, I was born under the Fig Tree and am supposed to be sensible, strong, and independent. This description fits me!

In closing, here are a few riddles riddles about trees. Try them out in your classroom!
1. What tree grows nearest the sea? 2. What tree grieves more than any other? 3. What tree is often found in people's mouths? 4. What tree always has a partner? 5. What tree is an awful grouch?
ANSWERS: 1. Beech 2. Weeping Willow 3. Gum 4. Pear 5. Crab Apple

Happy Spring!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Freda J. Glatt, MS, retired from teaching after a 34-year career in Early-Childhood and Elementary Education. Her focus, now, is to reach out and help others reinforce reading comprehension and develop a love for reading. Visit her site at http://www.sandralreading.com. Reading is FUNdamental!