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Description

Identify a tree in this unbe-leaf-able nature knowledge game, then head outside to see how many trees everyone recognises.
Copied from https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/i-know-yew/

Resources

Scissors
Attached Tree Cards.

Instructions

Before you begin
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You’ll be going out and about looking at trees, so make sure you have a spot of woodland or a copse of trees you can walk to nearby.
Check to see if you need permission to be in the area you’ve chosen and be aware of any hazards, as trees are often found near roads and open water.
Print and cut out the copies of the ‘Leaf guesser and tree cards’.
In your meeting place, set out the ‘Tree cards’ somewhere they can be seen by the whole group. You could stick them up on the walls or to a board.

Name that tree
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Everyone should sit or stand where they can see the ‘Tree cards’.
Everyone should choose one of the trees and remember it – they shouldn't tell anyone which one they’re thinking of.
The person leading the activity should choose one person to start.
While remembering their own tree, everyone should think of yes or no questions that they can ask that person to help them guess which tree that person’s thinking of. For example, people could ask:
Does it have needles instead of leaves?
Does it bear fruit?
Does it have thorns?
Does it have white flowers?
Everyone should take a look at the descriptions of each tree for some more specific things to ask about, such as:
Are the needles joined in pairs? Needles can be singular, pairs, or clusters when joined to the branch.
Does it have compound leaves? Compound leaves are made from smaller leaflets joined to the branch by one stalk.
Are the edges of the leaf serrated? Serrated leaves have pointy, saw-like teeth.
As the person with the tree in mind answers questions, they’ll narrow down the possible options until the group can guess the correct tree. The person leading the activity could remove the ‘Tree cards’ that have been ruled out to make it easier to keep track of the remaining options.
For example, if the question is: ‘Does the tree have needles instead of leaves?’ and the answer is ‘yes’, all of the trees that have simple or compound leaves can be removed, leaving only trees that bear needles, like the yew, fir, spruce and larch.
If a person guesses correctly, someone should replace the ‘Tree cards’ and everyone should try to guess the tree the person who guessed chose in the same way. Play a few rounds so that everyone can familiarise themselves with the trees and their characteristics.

Take it outside
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Everyone should go outside somewhere where there are trees and choose one to identify as a group.
Everyone should use the ‘Leaf guesser’ key to ask the questions again and note the answers down on some paper. By narrowing down the options, someone should be able to guess the type of tree.
If the tree you’re looking at doesn’t seem to fit any of the examples given, try the Woodland Trust Tree ID app on a mobile device. The app has over 70 different species of tree. Alternatively, everyone could carefully draw or photograph the leaves, branches, and any seeds or flowers on or around the tree to help them identify it later.
Everyone should try to remember the different kinds of leaves and trees when they’re out and about.
Some people might find it easier to look out for one type of tree at a time, and then focus on a new one once they’ve spotted it.

Tags

• Trees

Badge Links

• Community Impact - Identify
• Community Impact - Identify
• Community Impact - Identify
• Community Impact - Identify
• Forester - Identification