I wrote a 5th grade GATE unit exploring forestry, jobs in the industry and giving students the chance to experience the tools of the trade (loggers tape, diameter tapes and clinometers) and the opportunity to try their hand at plot mapping and land management. I needed funding for the tools so I wrote a grant and was awarded $500 by the Idaho Environmental Education Association. I quickly bought the tools I needed...so excited!

 

The essential question for this unit is “How can we support a balanced forest?” We then jumped right into learning about a foresters job and the tools they use to help manage ground. We are lucky to have a nice yard in front of our school with lots of trees to go outside and immediately put these tools to good use! Students learned to use a clinometer to measure the height of trees, a diameter tape to measure the diameter of trees and a loggers tape to measure accurate distance. We also spent time learning to identify trees, specifically conifers.

​

Students entered this unit with limited knowledge of the forestry industry, they had opinions based on their own personal exposure to information and experience. They had never thought about the various players in managing land and above all they, for the most part, hadn’t even thought about forestry as a career field and certainly were blown away by the vast opportunities it holds. One of the most rewarding outcomes is the first hand opportunity to be in contact with the professionals doing the work.  

​

During our reflection activity students wrote they were surprised by how many jobs there were in relation to forestry. “I was surprised that forestry jobs aren’t just loggers and scientists but architects and managers.” “It shows how much work is put into our forests.” They also wrote about how their thinking had changed or been supported. “I was against cutting down trees but then I realized that supports the forest.” “I thought a healthy forest was a forest that never had fire and never cut down trees. But now I know it’s natural to have fires in forests and some trees need it.”