trevordayschool

lower school tree study T R E V O R T R A N S L AT E S : An integral part of Trevor's 2nd-grade curriculum, the Tree Study, has grown and evolved dramatically since its introduction over three decades ago. Grade 2 Head Teacher Eric Soloff developed the Tree Study as part of his students' study of life cycles. is area of study was already part of the 2nd-grade curriculum when Mr. Soloff first started teaching at Trevor. en, it had focused primarily on lima beans. He believed it would be more meaningful to extend the lesson to the field, observing larger, more impressive plants and the processes the students were discovering in the classroom lab, in action. With this in mind, Mr. Soloff created a section of study in which his class regularly went to Central Park, where each student chose an individual tree on which to focus for the entire year. e students now had a special part of the park that they considered their own. is focus on trees also gave them a chance to deeply study the seasonal changes throughout the year, thinking and theorizing how the greater environmental system was affecting their trees. Mr. Soloff explains that the Tree Study is based on small observations. Before working with trees, 1 8 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L ■ S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 students first theorize what a seed needs to grow, and then design experiments to test their hypotheses. ey then plant seeds in each of their experimental conditions, and to the students' surprise, many seeds germinate in the dark. ey are amazed at the structural differences between seeds that grow in the dark and in the sun; these striking distinctions help them gain an understanding of photosynthesis and a comprehension of the sun's connection to the plant's growth. By asking questions and assessing what keeps a plant healthy, students can learn why the sun is vital to its survival. ey next address habitats, knowing that photosynthesis is a fundamental requirement for all producers and that all habitats depend on plant producers. Mr. Soloff explains, "By studying habitats, we're really tracing food chains back to producers, and seeing how our small observations and experiments connect to the larger world." e Tree Study extends beyond visits to Central Park. Each 2nd-grade class takes two trips to Black Rock Forest Consortium in Cornwall, New York, as well. In the fall, as part of their exploration, students get to observe the differences between the controlled environment of Central Park and the forest. As they hike the forest trails, all that they have been studying is alive. ey search for young saplings, trying to find the tree above that might have distributed the seed. ey go on a scavenger hunt for the different leaf shapes they have been learning about in the classroom. ey observe how decomposition is a large part of the forest system, helping keep the forest healthy. by Eric Soloff and Heather Mohamed as told to Katie Lindberg

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