I read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree to my son’s kindergarten homeschool class today. Then we created our own Giving Tree!

I read the story to them.

I asked them what the tree gave to the boy. They drew their answers on the leaves and apple paper cut outs I had made. Then, we attached it to the bare branches I had brought in. (I got a big branch from outdoors and set it in a tub with Plaster of Paris.)

 

An Apple

 

Apples to sell in order to make Money

 

Wood to make a Boat

I asked them what other things do trees give us?

 

Oxygen

I shared some quick facts with them:

1. Did you know an average tree can provide enough wood to make 170,000 pencils?

2. Did you know 2 mature trees can supply enough oxygen for a family of 4?

3. Did you know a mature tree removes almost 70x more pollution than a newly planted one?

And finally, I asked the children what could we give the tree in return? They cut paper and we hung their gifts up with ribbon on our Giving Tree.

 

Water

 

A Bird to keep the Tree company

 

Friendship

 

Love

 

Protection

 

Life

I left our class feeling how wise all these children already are.