	Trees
	Aim To help children understand that God created the world for us to enjoy and that he wants us to take care of it. Preparation You will need: a shopping basket small branch oranges, eggs, nuts, wooden bread board, tea leaves/tea pot, bottled water. small tree in a plant pot flip chart - with prayer written out Focus Table All the above things EXCEPT the tree. Keep this hidden. Introduction - Sam's Treasure It was Saturday. Mum was going shopping. She'd asked Sam to do her a list at breakfast. Mum said the list was like a treasure hunt and all the things had something to do with the treasure at the end. Sam wrote carefully (put up initial letter and let the children tell you what to write. A Year 2 good writer could do it for you, but it takes time!) Oranges, eggs, nuts, bread board, tea, water. Story continues... As he finished his egg, Mum drank her tea and told Sam about yesterday. She'd been driving past the Supermarket on her way to Grandma's and she had seen a huge crane in the car park. It was lifting an enormous tree trunk into a large truck. Some workmen had cut down the big oak tree near the Store to make an extension to the car park with room for lots more cars. Sam knew it was an oak tree because he'd seen acorns on the ground underneath it. "There were branches and sawdust everywhere", said Mum, "and they were sawing up the branches and making a lot of noise". "How old was it?" asked Sam, who was always asking how old people were! Mum said it was rude to ask how old people were. He thought it would be OK to ask how old the tree was. "About 200 years", said Mum, "we'll count the rings if you like. Hurry up!" Mum looked sad as they crossed the car park to where the tree had been. Sam felt sad too. All that was left was an enormous round tree stump. Mum helped Sam climb up to sit on it. They tried to count the rings (show picture) but only got to 89, and they weren't even half way. "Come on", said Mum, "it's starting to rain", and they ran into the Store. Sam attached his list to a trolley and pushed it through the automatic doors. Sam knew where things were on the shelves. (Get a pupil to come and put the things in the basket as you say them.) He got oranges, eggs, nuts, bread board, tea, water... "What about the treasure Mum?" asked Sam. Mum led him to the flower stand, "it's somewhere on here Sam", she said. (Can you guess what it was?) (Show your tree - any small potted tree will do.) "It isn't an oak tree", Mum said as she picked a little pot off the stand, "but it will remind us to take care of all trees!" © Audrey Bomford Ask the children to suggest why Sam's shopping list was all connected with a tree. branch - home for birds, nests and eggs (hold up branch/eggs) nuts - food for animals and seeds for new trees (hold up conkers/nuts) wood - to make things out of (hold up bread board) leaves - tea leaves grow on tea bushes (hold up tea or tea pot) tree - the leaves on the tree help the tree make food from sunlight AND give off water to make rain clouds (hold up tree/water bottle) Reading Then God commanded, Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit. (Genesis 1:11) Explain that trees are important for fruit as food but also for making rain clouds and for making the air clean. Talk about how the earth is getting warmer because so many trees are being cut down in the rain forests. Reflection Let's close our eyes and think quietly about a tree we know for a moment and be glad about it. Prayer Invite the children to join you in saying the simple prayer from the flip chart. Thank you God for trees because they are home for animals and birds; Thank you God for trees because they give wood to make things from; Thank you God for trees because trees' leaves make clean air to breathe. Thank you God for giving us trees to enjoy. Help everyone take care of all the trees on our earth. Amen. Song Suggestions Think of a World without any flowers - Come and Praise. Bk 1 - BBC Publications Over the earth - Someone's Singing Lord No.10 - A & C Blackford The Acorn tree - © Audrey Bomford Trees in Seasons - © Audrey Bomford
	A Primary Vision resource provided by the Stockport Christians in Schools Trust

Trees

Aim

To help children understand that God created the world for us to enjoy and that he wants us to take care of it.

Preparation

You will need:

a shopping basket
small branch
oranges, eggs, nuts, wooden bread board, tea leaves/tea pot, bottled water.
small tree in a plant pot
flip chart - with prayer written out

Focus Table

All the above things EXCEPT the tree. Keep this hidden.

Introduction - Sam's Treasure

It was Saturday. Mum was going shopping. She'd asked Sam to do her a list at breakfast. Mum said the list was like a treasure hunt and all the things had something to do with the treasure at the end.

Sam wrote carefully (put up initial letter and let the children tell you what to write. A Year 2 good writer could do it for you, but it takes time!)

Oranges, eggs, nuts, bread board, tea, water.

Story continues...

As he finished his egg, Mum drank her tea and told Sam about yesterday. She'd been driving past the Supermarket on her way to Grandma's and she had seen a huge crane in the car park. It was lifting an enormous tree trunk into a large truck. Some workmen had cut down the big oak tree near the Store to make an extension to the car park with room for lots more cars. Sam knew it was an oak tree because he'd seen acorns on the ground underneath it.

"There were branches and sawdust everywhere", said Mum, "and they were sawing up the branches and making a lot of noise".

"How old was it?" asked Sam, who was always asking how old people were! Mum said it was rude to ask how old people were. He thought it would be OK to ask how old the tree was.

"About 200 years", said Mum, "we'll count the rings if you like. Hurry up!"

Mum looked sad as they crossed the car park to where the tree had been. Sam felt sad too. All that was left was an enormous round tree stump. Mum helped Sam climb up to sit on it. They tried to count the rings (show picture) but only got to 89, and they weren't even half way.

"Come on", said Mum, "it's starting to rain", and they ran into the Store.

Sam attached his list to a trolley and pushed it through the automatic doors.

Sam knew where things were on the shelves. (Get a pupil to come and put the things in the basket as you say them.)

He got oranges, eggs, nuts, bread board, tea, water...

"What about the treasure Mum?" asked Sam.

Mum led him to the flower stand, "it's somewhere on here Sam", she said.

(Can you guess what it was?)

(Show your tree - any small potted tree will do.) "It isn't an oak tree", Mum said as she picked a little pot off the stand, "but it will remind us to take care of all trees!"

Ask the children to suggest why Sam's shopping list was all connected with a tree.

branch - home for birds, nests and eggs (hold up branch/eggs)
nuts - food for animals and seeds for new trees (hold up conkers/nuts)
wood - to make things out of (hold up bread board)
leaves - tea leaves grow on tea bushes (hold up tea or tea pot)
tree - the leaves on the tree help the tree make food from sunlight AND give off water to make rain clouds (hold up tree/water bottle)

Reading

Then God commanded, Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit. (Genesis 1:11)

Explain that trees are important for fruit as food but also for making rain clouds and for making the air clean. Talk about how the earth is getting warmer because so many trees are being cut down in the rain forests.

Reflection

Let's close our eyes and think quietly about a tree we know for a moment and be glad about it.

Prayer

Invite the children to join you in saying the simple prayer from the flip chart.

Thank you God for trees because
they are home for animals and birds;

Thank you God for trees because
they give wood to make things from;

Thank you God for trees because
trees' leaves make clean air to breathe.

Thank you God for giving us trees to enjoy.
Help everyone take care of all the trees on our earth.
Amen.

Song Suggestions

Think of a World without any flowers - Come and Praise. Bk 1 - BBC Publications
Over the earth - Someone's Singing Lord No.10 - A & C Blackford
The Acorn tree - © Audrey Bomford
Trees in Seasons - © Audrey Bomford