Hands-on Activities

How would you replant a forest?

Tree stumps

Tree stumps (sunlow, iStockphoto)

Tree stumps

Tree stumps (sunlow, iStockphoto)

Environmental Science

How does this align with my curriculum?

PE 9 Science Grade 9 (revised 2018) Decisions and Perspectives
PE 10 Science 421A (2019) Decisions and Perspectives
PE 12 Chemistry 621A (draft 2021) Decisions and Perspectives DP1
PE 11 Chemistry 521A (draft 2021) Decisions and Perspectives DP1
NB 12 Introduction to Environmental Science 120 (2012) Unit 1: An overview to Environmental Science
NB 12 Introduction to Environmental Science 120 (2012) Unit 3: Investigating Environmental Issues
NL 12 Environmental Science 3205 (revised 2010) Unit 3: Land use and the Environment
ON 11 Biology, Grade 11, College (SBI3C) Strand F: Plants in the Natural Environment
ON 11 Biology, Grade 11, University (SBI3U) Strand F: Plant: Anatomy, Growth, and Function
ON 11 Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College (SVN3M) Strand D: Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry
ON 11 Environmental Science, Grade 11, Workplace (SVN3E) Strand E: Natural Resource science and Management
PE 12 Environmental Science 621A (2011) Natural Resources
QC Sec IV Environmental Science and Technology The Living World
QC Sec IV Science and Technology The Living World
QC Sec I Science and Technology The Earth and Space: General Characteristics of Earth
QC Sec II Science and Technology The Earth and Space: General Characteristics of Earth
SK 11 Environmental Science 20 (2016) Terrestrial Ecosystems
BC 12 Environmental Science 12 (June 2018) Big Idea: Sustainable land use is essential to meet the needs of a growing population.
NL 11 Science 2200 (2004) Unit 1: Ecosystems
ON 11 Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College (SVN3M) Strand B: Scientific solutions to Contemporary environmental Challenges
YT 12 Environmental Science 12 (British Columbia, June 2018) Big Idea: Sustainable land use is essential to meet the needs of a growing population.
NL 11 Biology 2201 (2020) Unit i: Integrated Skills
NL 12 Biology 3201 (2021) Unit i: Integrated Skills

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Design a device that can plant seeds or trees to help grow a forest.

Materials:

Feel free to use any materials that you can think of. Some suggested items include:

  • Writing utensils
  • Paper
  • Scissors
  • Measuring tape, ruler or string cut to a certain length
  • Glue and/or tape
  • Recycled materials (bottles, caps, cardboard, cans, etc.)
  • Elastic bands and/or string
  • Aluminum foil
  • Craft sticks and/or toothpicks

What to do!

A large part of Canada is made up of Boreal Forest. This forest is home to many different plant and animal species. One of the major human impacts on this biome is the harvesting of trees for wood.

Conservation groups need your help to restore the forest! Can you design a device that can plant seeds or tree saplings every 30 cm?

  1. Design your device, using a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Think about what your device needs to do and what materials you will need.
  2. Build your device, if you want to.
  3. Test your device. Does it do what you expect it to? Are there any changes you can make that will work better?
  4. Share your design and your results with others!

The vast boreal forests are one of Canada’s greatest natural resources. The trees that grow there are used by people for paper and wood. These trees are also an important part of the natural biome. Unfortunately, people have been cutting them down faster than they can reproduce themselves. People can help these forests by replacing trees that have been removed by humans. This takes a lot of work! Devices like yours can be used to make this work much easier and faster so that we can get these forests back to normal as soon as possible!

Climate change is a serious problem that affects everyone. One of the leading causes of climate change is the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases (such as CO2) in our atmosphere. These gases cause the Earth to retain more of the Sun’s heat. Luckily, trees are excellent at absorbing CO2, but they can’t keep up with the huge amounts that get released every day by human activities. One way that we can help fight climate change is by restoring forests and planting more trees so they can help absorb some of the excess CO2 in our atmosphere.

Forests are usually made up of many different types of plants. Can you make a device that can plant multiple different types of trees/plants at the same time to restore the forests biodiversity?

If you want to learn more or get involved in climate change action, check out these other Let’s Talk Science resources:

  • Clothing4Climate (Action Project) - Learn how the clothing industry contributes to climate change and how you can take action with your own clothing choices!
  • Cows, Methane, and Climate Change (STEM in Context) - Have you ever wondered how livestock contributes to climate change?

 

What’s happening?

The vast boreal forests are one of Canada’s greatest natural resources. The trees that grow there are used by people for paper and wood. These trees are also an important part of the natural biome. Unfortunately, people have been cutting them down faster than they can reproduce themselves. People can help these forests by replacing trees that have been removed by humans. This takes a lot of work! Devices like yours can be used to make this work much easier and faster so that we can get these forests back to normal as soon as possible!

Why does it matter?

Climate change is a serious problem that affects everyone. One of the leading causes of climate change is the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases (such as CO2) in our atmosphere. These gases cause the Earth to retain more of the Sun’s heat. Luckily, trees are excellent at absorbing CO2, but they can’t keep up with the huge amounts that get released every day by human activities. One way that we can help fight climate change is by restoring forests and planting more trees so they can help absorb some of the excess CO2 in our atmosphere.

Investigate further!

Forests are usually made up of many different types of plants. Can you make a device that can plant multiple different types of trees/plants at the same time to restore the forests biodiversity?

If you want to learn more or get involved in climate change action, check out these other Let’s Talk Science resources:

  • Clothing4Climate (Action Project) - Learn how the clothing industry contributes to climate change and how you can take action with your own clothing choices!
  • Cows, Methane, and Climate Change (STEM in Context) - Have you ever wondered how livestock contributes to climate change?

 

Related Topics

Creative Thinking
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Deforestation
Forests & Forestry
Problem-solving