Environments - ARBORIST
Site
Hazard Assessment: A Study of Trees at School
Primary
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Numeracy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding
1. The trees at school need to be assessed to see if they are healthy and strong.
This is part of the Workplace Health & Safety requirements for schools. Several schools have had issues and this has lead to your school investigating if there are any WHS problems involving trees.
Investigate the issues from other schools:
Thiele Primary School - 5 April 2016 |
SMH 28 August 2014 |
SHM 20 October 2015 |
ABC Stateline: NT: 29 February 2008 |
Write up the circumstances of each incident and discuss with a partner the ethics of the action taken by the school or Department of Education.
2. You are to make a map of your school grounds indicating
- Type
- Height
- Breadth
- Whether the trees are overhanging any school building and playgrounds or any other areas used by students and staff
of the trees present.
You are also to take a photo of the tree.
3. You are to answer the following questions - a Tree Safety Check from T&G Tree Service
- Is there fungi or mushrooms growing around the root system?
- Has there been any excavation or change in soil levels around the tree?
- Is the tree unstable or loose in the ground?
- Does the tree have a lean?
- Are there any hollows or cavities in the trunk?
- Is there a bees or Termites nest?
- Is there any bulging of the trunk?
- Is there any wounds or damage to the tree?
- Are there any cracks or splits where branches are attached?
- Does the tree have multiple stems growing from the same point?
- Does the tree have long heavy lateral branches?
- Does the tree have a heavy dense crown?
- Are there broken or hanging branches in the tree?
- Are there dead branches?
- Does the tree have a history of branch failure?
- Has the tree been affected by storm or lightening strikes?
- Do children play under the tree?
- Is the tree in a high traffic area or overhanging occupying buildings?
If the answer is YES to any of these questions, you need to indicate the tree on your map.
You are to present a report to the school Principal on your findings.
If there are any dead trees, you might take a photo and report to the Dead Tree Australian Survey
Teacher
Call for students and teachers to be part of the Dead Tree Detective! Look at the Auditor to see the activity involved. This is a great way to intergrate Science and Mathematics into a real life project. The project is ongoing.
What
is the Value of Trees? Why should we bother?
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Sustainability
Priority
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Personal and social capability
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding
Philosophy
Cooperative
Learning Activity
1.
In groups of 4 - 5 students, you are going to
investigate "What is the real value of trees to our
environment?"
Brainstorm and make a list with a partner and then share with the bigger group.
Divide your list up into different categories. What are these categories?
2. Read the following articles - add to your list of reasons. Can you get to 20 more reasons?
You can read
The
Conversation articles on Trees
here if you
would like to do more reading.
3. What is Tree Vandalism? Who carries it out?
Read the following article
The Conversation 2 June 2015
4. What are the pros and cons of cropping down trees or poisoning them? List these pros and cons.
5.
Discuss as a class the ethics of harming trees.
What should we do to "bother" about trees in our immediate environment - at home, at school, in our community?
Design
a Park (Submitted
by Genevieve Albert,
Teacher, St Mary's Young NSW)
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Numeracy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Personal and social capability
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Sustainability
Priority
Cooperative
Learning Activity
1. You and your arborist and landscaping team have been asked by the local council to pitch a design planned for a new park. The council is working on improving the soil quality to ensure optimum plant growth. The new park is to be 1 acre in size.
Divide into teams of two - one the arborist team and the other the landscaping team.
The local council have asked that you include
- a diagram of the planned site
- types of trees and plants that
will be included, taking into consideration how big they will grow and
maintenance they will need
- a water feature
- any themes you wish to display
- access for people with
disabilities
- a tribute to the indigenous people that once lived or continue to live in that area.
2. You are to visit your local nursery and list the types of trees for sale and their cost (young stock versus mature stock). Talk to the nursery person about your project and what you aim to achieve.
3. In groups of four or five, write a list of things you will need to consider. The local council is particularly interested in the trees you will consider to be part of the park.
You will need to take into account the amount of water required, whether the trees will be deciduous or not, the types of birdlife you want to encourage and the sustainability of the trees you have selected.
4. Create a draft blueprint of what it will look like based on the theme you have decide on.
4. Swap with another group and make suggestions and give positive feedback on their work. Ensure they have considered how to cater for a range of ages and abilities.
5. Create your final blueprint,
including a key and a range of plants. Include notes on maintenance
and growth.
Leaf
Abscission - A Research Project
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability
1. The process of trees sheding their leaves is called Leaf Abscission. Leaf abscission involves a number of biochemical and physical changes that are largely controlled by plant hormones.
With a partner, you are to investigate the process from this article in Plant Life. Take relevant notes especially definitions of the process.
2. Research the names of the hormones involved and their molecule images.
3. Detail the whole process of leaf abscission in a flow-chart [with diagrams] indicating the hormones and plant structures involved. Make your flow-chart visually interesting with images of the hormones and the changes in plant structure.
4. Check in with another pair. Do they have the same information on their flow-chart? Compare and contrast this other pair's work. Make changes and finalise your flow-chart.
5. With another pair, you are to explain the process of leaf abscission.
Other Tree related activities in On the Job
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Dead
Tree DetectivePrimary
Middle
Secondary
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