Field Trips

Trees, Trees, Trees

Grade Level:
Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
Subject:
Science
Common Core Standards:
K.L.5.a, K.L.5.c, 1.L.5.a, 1.L.5.b, 1.L.5.c
State Standards:
ELA: (MD)SL.K.1.b; RI.1.4; RL.2.4; SL.3.1.c; SL.4.1.c; SL.5.1.c; (VA) K.RV.1.B; K.C.1.A.iii; 1.C.1.A.iii; 4.C.1.A.iii; 1.RV.1.H; 2.RV.1.G; 3.RV.1.F; 2.W.2.A; 5.W.1.A
Science: (MD) 2-PS1-1; 2-LS4-1; 1-LS3.B; 4-LS1-1; (VA) K.7.b; 1.1.b; 1.4.c; 2.4.c; 4.8.b

Feature Description - Lesson Overview

This is a self-facilitated field trip at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In this program, students will learn about trees through a series of activities. Students will learn about different types of trees, the parts of a tree, seasonality and life cycles of trees, how to identify trees, and their historical importance. Activities involving creativity, crafting, and reflection will reinforce what students learn about trees. This 90-to-120-minute program is designed to be appropriate for K-5 students and done in spring, summer, or fall. Word or PDF versions of this lesson plan can be requested by emailing cocanaleducation@nps.gov.

Essential Questions

  • What are the parts of a tree?
  • What are different types of trees and how can we identify them?
  • How do trees change throughout their life cycle and with different seasons?
  • How have trees been used historically on the C&O Canal?

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to...
  • Discuss and identify different parts and types of trees
  • Explain the life cycle and seasonality of trees
  • Understand the role trees play in historic ingenuity and innovation

Thinking Skills

  • Observation
  • Critical Thinking
  • Compare and Contrast
  • Creative Writing

Background Information

  • This is a fully self-facilitated field trip and will be planned and led by school staff and not NPS park staff.
  • This field trip can be completed at any location within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Some parts of this field trip are better suited for late spring, summer, and fall months when students can observe the leaves of deciduous trees. We encourage you to choose any location in the C&O Canal NHP and walk the towpath with your class!
  • If you choose the Great Falls Tavern area of the park in Potomac, MD, there are academic fee waivers available. To learn more about this process or to get the application, email coccanaleducation@nps.gov.
  • All necessary background and content can be found in the pre-field trip activities and the instructions for the field trip.

Vocabulary

Branch – a natural subdivision of a plant stem especially a secondary shoot or stem arising from a main axis
Canopy – the uppermost spreading branching layer of a forest
Chlorophyll – the green photosynthetic pigment found chiefly in the chloroplasts of plant cells
Coniferous – bearing cones
Deciduous – falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle
Evergreen – having foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season
Fruit – the usually edible reproductive body of a seed plant
Germinate – to cause to sprout or develop
Leaf – a lateral outgrowth from a plant stem that is typically a flattened expanded variably shaped greenish organ, constitutes a unit of the foliage, and functions primarily in food manufacture by photosynthesis
Midrib – the central vein of a leaf
Perennial – present at all seasons of the year and persisting for several years usually with new herbaceous growth
Root – the usually underground part of a seed plant body…, functions as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage, or as means of anchorage and support, and differs from a stem especially in lacking nodes, buds, and leaves
Trunk – the main stem of a tree apart from limbs and roots

Materials 

  • Writing utensils
  • Tree Scavenger Hunt Cards: Beginner (grades K-3) or Advanced (grades 4+)
  • Clipboards
Pre-field trip activities: Post-field trip activities:
  • Paper/notebooks
  • Writing utensils
  • (Optional) Dictionary and Thesaurus

Procedure

Lesson Hook/Introduction (5 min)

Welcome students to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park! Explain where this part of the park is in relation to where the students have come from (miles away, direction, etc.) and explain that this is just one section of the 184.5-mile-long canal that runs along the Potomac River.

Discussion (10 min)

To refresh students’ memories about the information they learned during the pre-field trip activities, ask students to recall the parts of a tree. Find a nearby tree in the park and point out the tree’s canopy, leaves, fruits (if applicable), branches, trunk, and roots. Talk about what season it is when you are in the park. Look at the trees and ask students how the trees would look different if it was a different time of year. (Example: If it’s fall during your field trip, note that the trees would be green in the summer and the branches would be bare in the winter with no leaves.)

Activity 1: Tree Identification Scavenger Hunt (30-45 min)

  • Prepare to walk: Before beginning the walk, explain important safety protocols and park rules: “Today we will be walking on the towpath that runs along the canal. The towpath is not very wide and has drop-offs. Stay on the right side of the towpath and be mindful of sharing the path with cyclists and other park visitors. Do not run, push, or shove each other during your walk. It is very important that you stay on the towpath to not disturb other parts of the park and to protect yourself from poisonous plants or wildlife. Do not alter the park in any way – this means do not leave trash, do not make markings, and do not move or take leaves, rocks, or flowers.  All natural items you find in the park need to stay in the park. Make sure to drink plenty of water and tell a teacher or chaperone if you are not feeling well. Are there any questions before we start our walk?”
  • Go over the scavenger hunt: For younger students, it may be helpful to do the scavenger hunt with a partner. On the Tree Scavenger Hunt Card, there will likely be some new and unfamiliar terms. As you walk, you will go over new terms periodically and give students time to find examples of these terms in the park. Tell students that it’s ok if they aren’t familiar with all of the terms on the card and to wait for instructions from the teacher to learn new terms. Using a pen or pencil, cross off items on the scavenger hunt as you find them.     
  • Walk – Deciduous vs. Evergreen: There are two types of trees: deciduous and evergreen. These are the first two terms on the scavenger hunt card. A deciduous tree is one that has leaves that fall off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle. Evergreen trees have functional green leaves year-round. Common examples of both kinds are (deciduous:) oaks, maples, poplars, and sycamores and (evergreen:) pines, spruces, and firs. Lead the class on a walk on the towpath. Instruct students to find at least one of each type of tree and cross it off on their card when they find it. Stop after a few minutes when most students have seen both types of trees.
  • Walk – Broad vs. Needle vs. Scale Leaves: Have you ever heard of different types of trees? Maybe you’ve heard of an oak tree or a sycamore tree. How do we tell these trees apart? Some trees have more unique features than others. When scientists and tree experts identify different types of trees, they look at little details in the shape and arrangement of the trees’ leaves. Today we will learn about these leaf details. We will start by determining the type of leaf a tree has. There are 3 options and they are the next 3 images on your scavenger hunt. Broad leaves are flat and wide and found on deciduous trees. Needle leaves are very thin and needle-like and found on evergreen trees like pines. Scale leaves are also thin but are wider than needles. They overlap (like the scales on a snake) and are also commonly found on evergreen trees. Continue walking on the towpath and stop after a few minutes when most students have seen all 3 leaf types.
  • (Advanced scavenger hunt only) Walk – Simple vs. Compound Leaves: Next, we will look at how leaves are arranged around the midrib of the leaf. The midrib is the straight line that runs down the middle of a leaf and connects to the tree branch. A simple leaf is one where the midrib is at the center of a single leaf. Compound leaves have multiple leaflets attached to the midrib. Important identification tip: it can be hard to tell if a midrib of a compound leaf is actually just a branch with many simple leaves attached. The key is to look for a lateral bud. A small bud is present where a midrib meets a branch. If no lateral bud is present, the leaves are leaflets meeting a midrib (so they are compound leaves). Examples of trees include: (Simple) Oak, Maple, Birch, Magnolia; (Compound) Ash and Walnut. Continue walking on the towpath and stop after a few minutes when most students have seen both leaf types.
  • (Advanced scavenger hunt only) Walk – Alternate vs. Opposite Leaves: We can also identify trees using the arrangement of leaves around branches. Leaves attach to branches at nodes. Branches where single leaves come out of nodes on alternating sides of the branch have alternate leaves. When 2 leaves come out of each node in opposite directions, the tree has opposite leaves. Examples of trees include: (Alternate) Oak, Sycamore, Birch; (Opposite) Maple, Ash, Dogwood. Continue walking on the towpath and stop after a few minutes when most students have seen both leaf types.
  • (Advanced scavenger hunt only) Walk – Entire vs. Toothed Leaf Margins: The edge of a leaf is called its margin. We can distinguish leaves based on 2 different margin types. Entire margins are when leaves have smooth edges. Toothed leaf margins are jagged. Examples of trees include: (Entire) Magnolia and Black Gum; (Toothed) Red Maple and Elm. Continue walking on the towpath and stop after a few minutes when most students have seen both leaf margin types.
  • (Advanced scavenger hunt only) Walk – Lobed vs. Unlobed Leaves: Leaves can also have lobes or be unlobed. Kind of like the shape of your ear lobe, leaves can have rounded protrusions, or they can be unlobed with one full rounded shape. Oaks have lobed leaves and Magnolia trees have unlobed leaves. Continue walking on the towpath and stop after a few minutes when most students have seen both leaf types.
  • (Advanced scavenger hunt only) Walk – Even vs. Uneven Leaf Bases: Leaves can also differ based on how the bottom of the leaf meets the midrib. This is the last element to find on your scavenger hunt card. Both sides of leaves with even leaf bases meet the midrib at the same place and are on an even plane. Either side of leaves with uneven leaf bases meet the midrib in different places. Redbuds have even leaf bases while American Elms have uneven leaf bases. Try your best to find examples of this in the park and complete your scavenger hunt.  
  • (Beginner scavenger hunt only) Walk: Continue walking down the towpath to find the other tree-related items on your scavenger hunt card. Students may need guidance on finding some of the items on their card: tree rings are only visible on fallen trees and stumps, beaver activity is easier to find in some parts of the park compared to others, etc.
  • Conclude: Hopefully you have found most if not all of the items on your tree scavenger hunt card. If you haven’t, that’s ok. You can continue your search later at school, a park, or even near your house in your neighborhood.

Activity 2: History of Trees on the C&O Canal (15-20 min)

  • Walk to lock and/or lockhouse: After finishing the scavenger hunt, students will learn about the way trees were and are still being used on the C&O Canal. If possible, walk to a lock and/or lockhouse and then stop to have a discussion with students.
  • Discussion: Ask students to look around and give examples of ways trees were used on the C&O Canal. Allow students to respond and make sure these examples are given:
    • Lockhouses: Trees provide wood used to build lockhouses that housed the lockkeepers who worked on the canal.
    • Lock Gates: Locks use wooden beams and paddles to operate and allow boats to raise and lower 8-10 feet while traveling on the canal.
    • Aqueduct: The canal travels over rivers and other bodies of water via aqueducts. In addition to stone masonry, wood is used to build and repair these structures.
    • Canal Boats: Canal boats are built using wood. Additionally, lumber was one of the products boats carried from Cumberland to Georgetown during the canal's operational years. At Great Falls and Cumberland, there is a replica boat that can be viewed. Historic photos of boats and lockhouses are available to view at park visitor centers or on the park website.

Lesson Conclusions (10 min)

If time permits, before getting back on the bus and returning to school, you can reconvene to discuss some reflection questions:
  • What was the most interesting or surprising tree you observed in the park?
  • What is the coolest way trees/wood are used on the C&O Canal?
  • What was challenging about tree identification?
  • Why should we care about trees?
  • How do you as a student help to protect the trees in the park during your visit today or in the future?

Park Connections

This lesson and its activities connect to the themes and mission of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park by exploring the ways in which the park serves as a place of refuge. Students reconnect with nature in the unique setting of the C&O Canal NHP and observe the great diversity of trees the park has to offer. This lesson also connects to the park’s transportation interpretive theme as students explore the ways in which trees and wood were used historically on the canal to make it an operational form of transportation and trade.

Pre-Field Trip Activities

During the field trip, students will learn about and observe trees in the environment surrounding the C&O Canal. It is important that students learn important background information to understand the trees they see in the park.

Parts of a Tree

Procedure

Seasons of Trees

Procedure

  • Learn about trees throughout the seasons: Using the C&O Canal’s website, learn about how trees change throughout spring, summer, fall, and winter.
  • Trees in 4 seasons worksheet: Complete the Trees in 4 Seasons Worksheet.

Post-Field Trip Activities

After learning all about trees and getting to see the many different varieties of trees the C&O Canal NHP has to offer, we have designed two (optional) post-field trip activities to extend your learning about trees through creative and fun tasks.  

Act Out the Life Cycle of a Tree

Procedure

  • Learn about the life cycle of a tree: Using the C&O Canal's website, learn about the life cycle of a tree.
  • Act out the life cycle: 
  1. Seed: Crouch down on the ground with hands over your head like a little seed on the ground.
  2. Germinate into a seedling: Dig your roots (toes) down into the ground and send up your leaves (fingers) toward the sky.
  3. Grow into a sapling: Begin to grow taller by extending your branches (arms) and spreading your roots (legs and feet).
  4. Grow into a mature tree: Grow into a mature tree by standing up and spreading your branches (arms).
  5. Snag: Topple at an old age by falling down. Decompose and feed the seedlings on the forest floor.

Write a Poem/Song About Trees

Procedure

  • Using a pencil and paper, write a poem or song about trees! Finding words that rhyme can be tricky. A thesaurus is a helpful resource that can be used to find words that mean the same thing when trying to find words that rhyme.
  • Inspiration: Deciding what to write a song or poem about is the first step of this activity. In this case, students will write about trees and can use these prompts to inspire their song/poem if they are having trouble coming up with an idea.
    • Why do you like trees?
    • What do trees look like?
    • What do trees provide for us?
    • Who lives in a tree? (Animals?)
    • What would it be like to be a tree?
  • Example: Here is an example of a song inspired by native paw paw trees that can be found in the C&O Canal NHP.
Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch
Where, oh, where is sweet little Nellie?
Where, oh, where is sweet little Nellie?
Where, oh, where is sweet little Nellie?
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.

Come on, boys and let's go find her
Come on, boys and let's go find her
Come on, boys and let's go find her
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.

Pickin' up paw paws, put 'em in your pocket
Pickin' up paw paws, put 'em in your pocket
Pickin' up paw paws, put 'em in your pocket
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.

~Unknown artist; Paw Paw Patch lyrics © Public Domain
  • Poems: Poems can have different structures students can choose from. They can be rhyme-and-meter when the poem rhymes at the end of each line or every other line and has a pattern in its rhythm or cadence. They can also rhyme with no meter or be free verse with no rhyme or meter. Stylistic choice is up to students!
  • Songs: Like a poem, students can write about any tree topic they want. Songs have a melody which is a sequence of notes that sound good together. Coming up with a brand-new melody can be difficult, so it may be easier for students to borrow the melody of songs they know (ex. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Mary Had a Little Lamb). The typical structure of a song is verses that tell a story with a chorus that you repeat after different verses that holds the main idea of the song. Students are encouraged to make creative choices when writing their songs!
  • Share: When students finish their songs/poems, have them share either with the whole class or with a neighbor or buddy. A gallery walk to read the poems/song lyrics can help other students see what their classmates learned about trees.

Post-Field Trip Resources

We would love to hear from you about the trees you and your students saw during your field trip! Please email us at cocanaleducation@nps.gov telling us about your trip, how many students participated, where you went, what trees you observed, etc. We would love to learn how the park inspires them and read any poems or songs your students wrote! Thank you for visiting the park!

Tags: self guided self-facilitated field trip field trip trees chesapeake ohio canal national historical park chesapeake and ohio canal

Last updated: April 17, 2026