Trees help clean the air. Trees produce the pure oxygen we breathe, and remove air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration and by retaining particulates, but can it be bad to plant a tree?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #54: Planting Trees
2. Before watching the video spend a few minutes thinking about possible times/situations when you would not want to plant a tree. Write down your ideas.
3. Watch this TED EDU video about helping our environment by planting trees. This same video is also about how our environment can be hurt by planting trees. While you watch, take notes tracking new, interesting, and important information.

4. After you are done, write an interview between a reporter and a tree. Choose at least 3 of the questions below to ask the tree.

Sample script

Reporter– Hello, Aspen. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Will you please tell me the difference between afforestation and reforestation?

Aspen-Of course, I am glad to be here. The words sound similar, and they are but there is a difference between them. Afforestation is the planting of trees in places devoid of any forest, while reforestation is the practice of restoring recently degraded forests.

Question Choices

1. Why are trees considered a solution to curb climate change?
2. What is the Bonn Challenge and what is its goal?
3. Why do companies plant trees?
4. Why are natural forests better at carbon storage compared to plantations?
5. Why is it important to consider the species of trees and the lands when planting trees?
6. What are the unintended consequences of planting trees in regions that naturally reflect sunlight?
7. What is the current approach of Chile in tree planting efforts?
8. What are some methods mentioned in the video to re-green the planet?
9. When is it bad to plant trees?

5. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.