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Significance
Trees are very beneficial for our world. Students will learn the importance
of all trees by researching them and recording their findings. The goal of this web quest is for students to build a more
complete understanding of trees.
"Social Benefits
We like trees around us because they make life more pleasant. Most of us respond to the presence of trees beyond simply observing
their beauty. We feel serene, peaceful, restful, and tranquil in a grove of trees. Hospital patients have been shown to recover
from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees. The strong ties between people and trees are most
evident in the resistance of community residents to removing trees to widen streets. Or we note the heroic efforts of individuals
and organizations to save particularly large or historic trees in a community.
The stature, strength, and endurance of trees give them a cathedral-like quality. Because of their potential for long life,
trees frequently are planted as living memorials. We often become personally attached to trees that we or those that we love
have planted.
Communal Benefits
Even though trees may be private property, their size often makes them part of the community as well. Because trees occupy
considerable space, planning is required if both you and your neighbors are to benefit. With proper selection and maintenance,
trees can enhance and function on one property without infringing on the rights and privileges of neighbors.
City trees often serve several architectural and engineering functions. They provide privacy, emphasize views, or screen out
objectionable views. They reduce glare and reflection. They direct pedestrian traffic. They provide background to and soften,
complement, or enhance architecture.
Environmental Benefits
Trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring
wildlife. Climate control is obtained by moderating the effects of sun, wind, and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed
or deflected by leaves on deciduous trees in the summer and is only filtered by branches of deciduous trees in winter. We
are cooler when we stand in the shade of trees and are not exposed to direct sunlight. In winter, we value the sun’s
radiant energy. Therefore, we should plant only small or deciduous trees on the south side of homes.
Wind speed and direction can be affected by trees. The more compact the foliage on the tree or group of trees, the greater
the influence of the windbreak. The downward fall of rain, sleet, and hail is initially absorbed or deflected by trees, which
provides some protection for people, pets, and buildings. Trees intercept water, store some of it, and reduce storm runoff
and the possibility of flooding.
Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy
is released from the soil in those areas at night.
Temperature in the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. The larger the tree the greater ability it has to
cool. By using trees in the cities, we are able to moderate the heat-island effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial
areas.
Air quality can be improved through the use of trees, shrubs, and turf. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust
and other particulates. Rain then washes the pollutants to the ground. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air to form carbohydrates
that are used in the plant's structure and function. In this process, leaves also absorb other air pollutants; such as ozone,
carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide and give off oxygen.
By planting trees and shrubs, we return to a more natural, less artificial environment. Birds and other wildlife are attracted
to the area. The natural cycles of plant growth, reproduction, and decomposition are again present, both above and below ground.
Natural harmony is restored to the urban environment.
Economic Benefits
Individual trees and shrubs have value, but the variability of species, size, condition, and function makes determining their
economic value difficult. The economic benefits of trees can be both direct and indirect. Direct economic benefits are usually
associated with energy costs. Air-conditioning costs are lower in a tree-shaded home. Heating costs are reduced when a home
has a windbreak. Trees increase in value from the time they are planted until they mature. Trees are a wise investment of
funds because landscaped homes are more valuable than non-landscaped homes. The savings in energy costs and the increase in
property value directly benefit each homeowner.
The indirect economic benefits of trees are even greater. These benefits are available to the community or region. Lowered
electricity bills are paid by customers when power companies are able to use less water in their cooling towers, build fewer
new facilities to meet peak demands, use reduced amounts of fossil fuel in their furnaces, and use fewer measures to control
air pollution. Communities also can save money if fewer facilities must be built to control storm water in the region. To
the individual, these savings are small, but to the community, reductions in these expenses are often in the thousands of
dollars."
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The Task
Students will gather detailed information about any tree from
the list below. Students will also use the resource list to find additional information and pictures. The students
can also use the resource links to find safe search engines, that independently, students can use to find RELIABLE
sources on the world wide web. The assignment is to create a powerpoint presentation similar to the example presentation
below.
The presentation will not be graded, however, the materia covered
will be on the chapter test. So give your best effort on these presentations! Have fun!
TREE LIST
"Example presentation: A Guideline for Content"
The Process
1. Individually, students will research a tree from the tree
list using the provided resources availible online.
2. Using these resources and additional resources availible
in the school library or classroom students will gather their information in forms of notes (on or off the computer: Microsoft
Word).
3. Then using these notes students will complete the thumbnail
sketches and create a layout for these in Powerpoint.
4. Students will add sounds, pictures from book and internet sources,
as well as add buttons to navigate through the sides.
The objective is for students to learn about popular trees in
all aspects.
EVALUATION
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Category
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Content
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Multimedia
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Spelling and Grammar
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Excellent
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Content is reliable. All categories are addressed. Powerpoint's content is specificly and illustratively developed with
complete elaboration.
Powerpoint follows guidelines of project.
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Imported music, pictures, AND video are used in the powerpoint
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Powerpoint has no mispellings or gramatical errors
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Good
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Content is reliable. All categories are addressed. Powerpoint's content is developed with adequate elaboration.
For the most part, the powerpoint follows the directions.
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Imported music, pictures, OR video were used in the powerpoint.
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Powerpoint has less than 4 mispellings or gramatical errors
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Needs Improvement
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Content is not reliable.
Powerpoint did not follow guidelines of project.
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No multimedia was used in the powerpoint.
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Powerpoint has more than 4 mispellings or grammatical errors
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