Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive in to the woods. You will be certain to find something you've never seen before. - Alexander Graham Bell
This volume is all about FORESTS.
Challenge 1
Can you find a decomposer?
Did you know that a fallen tree is an important part of a forest ecosystem? You’ll find many types of plants and animals living under dead trees and piles of mulch or leaves. They help “decompose,” or break down, the tree, using it for food and shelter.
Go to a green space near you and carefully look under a fallen tree or rock. Try to draw what you see, or look up what you find online or in a field guide.
Explore the soil in your wooded location. Can you find any creatures? Take pictures or sketch what you find. Can you match anything on the key linked below?
Make sure you leave nature just as you found it!
Challenge 2
Fractured Fairy Tales
"Into the Woods" is a famous musical written by Stephen Sondheim. He used clever lyrics and music to weave together characters from many fairy tales, creating a meaningful theme.
Think about common elements of a fairy tale, such as elements of fantasy, clear good/evil characters, or representing the number 3 or 7 (ex. 3 little pigs, 3 bears and 3 tries for Goldilocks, etc.).
Write your own fractured fairy tale! Chose one fairy tale and change something important, or chose more than one and merge it.
With parent permission, publish your fractured fairy tale online through Scholastic! Click here to submit your story.
Note: Disney recently created a movie version of Into the Woods, but the content is not suitable for younger children. Common Sense Media recommends it for ages 10+. Find their review here.
Challenge 3
Wolves Get a Bad Rap
Wolves are a forest creature that are typically depicted as evil in fairy tales. (Did you use a wolf as an evil character in your fractured fairy tale?) Wolves are actually a crucial part of our ecosystem.
Watch the following video once or twice. Read the words. (Pause the video as needed so that you can read and understand them.)
After watching, make a cause and effect chart. How many causes and effects can you find in this video?
Create an opinion video or letter to explain why wolves should not have a reputation as being bad. Include a strong claim statement as well as evidence from one of the sources above.
Challenge 4
Pennsylvania's Forest History
Did you know that Pennsylvania was once 90% forest? Let's explore how much PA's landscape has change over the years.
Watch the video below on how to sketch a landscape. Then, look out a window of your home. Sketch your current landscape, including buildings. Then, create a sketch of the landscape how you imagine that it was in the year 1743. Scientist John Bartram described Pennsylvania forests so thick "it seems almost as if the sun had never shown on the ground." Compare your two pieces of art. Add a title, and share your work.
Credits:
Created with images by Eric Muhr - "untitled image" • kazuend - "Bamboo leaf canopy" • Thomas Millot - "Autumn Beetle" • kazuend - "Bamboo leaf canopy" • Tim Rebkavets - "We woke up at 3am so we could drive to Germany. We arrived just in time for sunrise and that’s how this shot came to live. The reflection was made with the reflection of the screen of my phone." • kazuend - "Bamboo leaf canopy" • Tahoe - "untitled image" • kazuend - "Bamboo leaf canopy" • Linnea Herner - "Old Forest" • kazuend - "Bamboo leaf canopy"