92 Cycles in Nature:Supplemental Guide 5 | The Life Cycle of a Tree
Advance Preparation
Make copies of Instructional Masters 5B-1 and 5B-2 for each
student. Students will create their own Response Card for the life
cycle of a tree.
Bring in images of different decomposers (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and
worms) for students to see.
Bring in images of different kinds of trees around the school.
Find short, age-appropriate video clips of the life cycle of a tree,
specifi cally an apple tree, to reinforce read-aloud content.
Find a trade book about the life cycle of a tree to read aloud to the
class.
Note to Teacher
Watching seeds sprout and grow can be an exciting experience
for young children. You may wish to do a seed germination
demonstration with students. Consider using seeds that germinate
rather quickly (5–10 days) such as daisy, sunfl ower, zinnia, or
marigold seeds; or vegetable seeds such as corn, cucumber,
tomato, or watermelon seeds. Place seeds in potting soil or inside
a zip-top bag on a damp paper towel. Be sure to keep the seeds
in a damp and warm environment for seeds to germinate.