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Got Trees? Geometry and Trigonometry Lesson

Provided by: MIT Climate Action Through Education

Lesson Plans Grades 9-12

Synopsis

In this lesson, students will measure trees in their community to determine how much carbon they sequester.
Students will use various tools and calculators to understand how tree type, circumference, density, and age contribute to the tree's ability to sequester carbon.

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics

Authors: Amy Block

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

Students will love getting outdoors and will develop a deeper relationship with the trees in their community.
Learning about this important nature-based solution will help students see how impactful nature can be.

Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with measuring circumferences and angles and should understand basic trigonometry principles.
Students will need devices to measure the trees. They will also need to download the GLOBE Observer app before going out to measure.

Differentiation & Implementation

If there are no trees or few trees near the school, and commuting to an area with trees is not an option, teachers can prepare tree cards with local trees, their address, distance from a building, species, height, and circumference. Students can use these cards to enter the information to find tree density and sequestration ability.
The online Tree Identifier can help students determine what trees they are measuring out in their community.
To learn more about how scientists determine the carbon sequestration of trees from afar, students may enjoy the article and video, Why Does This Scientist Shoot Lasers at Trees?. This can help them get a better picture of similar methods to those described in the article.
To make creative connections, students can make data art or write poetry to demonstrate and celebrate the sequestering power of the tree they measured.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format