Topic

Our class tree display

Aims
• To start the school year with a project that encourages students to bond as a group
• To give students an opportunity to introduce themselves to each other by talking about things they like
(e.g. colours, food, animals and activities)
• To make a guessing game where pupils match the written word to pictures
• To provide listening practice with a tree-themed song or story (see links, below)
• To encourage students to appreciate that trees provide food (as well as oxygen, wood and medicine)

Age group
Young learners aged 6-12 years old

Level
A1 - A2

Time
50 - 60 minutes

Materials
Our class tree display worksheet (1 per pupil)
Our class tree matching game worksheet (1 per each pair – or ask pupils to draw one in their notebooks)
Sticky tack, coloured pens or pencils, scissors, black marker, (optional: red, green and brown paper or
cardboard to make the tree, leaves and apples).
Song (for younger children): The leaves on the tree http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/the-
leaves-the-trees
Story (for older children): The Story of Quinine http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-
stories/the-story-quinine

Introduction

In this lesson students work together to create a class tree display. Each pupil is given a worksheet with a
leaf and an apple on it. Students write on the leaf and draw matching pictures on the fruit. The leaves and
fruit are displayed randomly on the wall or noticeboard. Students try to match the pairs. Finally each pupil
gives a short presentation describing their leaf and fruit while students check their answers.

Extend the lesson with younger children by listening to the song The leaves on the tree. Older children
could watch The story of quinine to learn about one of the ways trees are important in our lives. See more
ways to extend the topic of this lesson below.
Procedure
Before the • Make one copy of the Our class tree display template for each pupil and one copy
lesson of the Our class tree matching game worksheet per pair.
If you are going to use green paper for the leaves and red paper for the apples, cut
the leaf from the apple and photocopy them separately, or make 2-3 photocopies
of the template for students to cut out around.
• Make one copy of the matching game worksheet for each pair. Decide on the wall
space for your display and provide coloured pens or pencils, scissors and sticky
tack.
If using, download the following videos from the LearnEnglish Kids website:
The leaves on the tree song (for younger students):
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/the-leaves-the-trees

The Story of Quinine (for older students):

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/the-story-quinine

1. Warmer • Draw a leaf on the board and write (e.g.) I’m Sara.
(3-5 minutes) • Draw an apple and three things that you like inside it, asking children to guess
what they are, e.g. a red paint splodge, a cat and a book.
• Elicit from the students: Your favourite colour is red, you like cats and you love
reading.
• Tell the class that they are going to make a guessing game tree display together.
Provide an example by writing your sentences in the leaf on the board under your
name. e.g. I like cats. My favourite colour is red and I love reading about history.
If apples are not grown in your region, or you are in a different season, feel free to
choose another fruit that grows on trees (e.g. oranges, peaches, pineapples,
bananas) and make your own template.

2. Creating the • Give each pupil the Our class tree display template. Students cut out the leaf and
display apple.
(15-20 • Ask students to write their name and three things they like on the side of the leaf
minutes) without their name on it. Early primary students write words, e.g. I’m Harry. dog,
pizza, football; middle primary students a whole sentence e.g. I’m Clara. I like
elephants, pineapples and reading; while upper primary students could write a
short paragraph e.g. Hi! I’m Manu. My favourite colour is blue. I like birds. I play
tennis.
• Once students have written on their leaf, ask them to draw three pictures to
describe their likes on their apples. Tell them not to write their names on the
apples – this is a guessing game. If using red paper, children may have to draw
their pictures on white paper, colour them, cut them out and glue them on the
apple.
 • Ask early finishers to cut brown cardboard into branches, using sticky tack to
attach the tree to the wall or notice board. If you’ve already made (or are not
making) the tree trunk and branches, have early finishers give each student two
pieces of sticky tack to attach to the back of their pieces.

3. Mounting the • Using sticky tack, children display the leaves and fruit on a wall or noticeboard to
display create a tree. With the black marker, number each apple (or give students stickers
(5-10 with numbers on them).
minutes)

4. Matching • Put students in pairs and give each pair the Our tree matching game worksheet
game (or ask them to draw the chart in their notebooks).
(15-20 • After each pair has matched their own leaves and apples, they try to match as
minutes)
many others as they can in a time limit (e.g. 15 minutes, depending on the number
of students in your class).

5. Presentations • Students take turns giving a very short presentation to say what their likes are,
(10-15 pointing to their leaf and apple so the class can check their answers. If playing the
minutes) matching game as a competition, pairs exchange their matching game worksheets
to mark them.

6. Optional • End the lesson with younger pupils by listening to The leaves on the tree song:
extra http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/songs/the-leaves-the-trees
activities
• Older students can learn more about the benefits of trees by watching The Story
of Quinine:
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/the-story-quinine

• More topic-related activities on the LearnEnglish Kids website include:

• Places in nature flashcards

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/flashcards-
places-in-nature.pdf
• Plants flashcards
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/flashcards-
plants.pdf
• Make an autumn decoration
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/craft-
autumn-decoration.pdf
• Rainforest colouring page:
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/colouring/rainforest
 An alternative activity for pupils with a very good level of English is to create an Our
Wish Tree. Students write a sentence (or sentences) about something they hope for
on their leaf e.g. I want a lot of money; I wish we had world peace; I’d like to go skiing
in the holidays, drawing a matching picture or pictures on the apple.

Did you know that National Tree Day in Canada is on the 27th of September?

Visit https://treecanada.ca/en/programs/national-tree-day/ to learn about the many

benefits of trees https://treecanada.ca/en/resources/benefits-trees/

Contributed by
Karen Elliott