The Bones of a Tree

4th Grade looks at trees each year.

We look at the bones. The structure.

The kids are very quick to realize that, as a tree grows,

the branches get smaller.

 Each time the tree splits into branches, it creates a "V".  Makes perfect sense to them ..... until they try it.  Every time a branch splits, it remains the same thickness, but gets shorter.  The pictures resemble brier patches that never end.  They are beautiful designs in themselves, but not the idea of the lesson.  I really wish I had a picture of these shrubbery, but this year in my frustration of the lesson, I whipped out my favorite thing in the world.....

......a strip of paper.

I folded it into quarters and began to cut long strips into it, stopping at folds. 
I cut in half down the middle (I cut about 2/3 of the way down).
I cut those halves in half to the halfway fold in the paper.
I cut the four strips in half again to the 3/4 fold.

It looked like a strange strip of paper until.....

I folded the branches out...... and it is a tree.  Each branch getting smaller, until I am not able to cut it in half anymore.  The kids decided this was worth a try.

Each branch is folded back to glue one section at a time.

I can't wait until the trees are finished. We began to add color with markers, but scraps of paper was pulled out, and now the collage is beginning on top.  I loved when they asked for "just one more class" to finish adding some paper piecing and collage materials to make them look just right!

We have to wait a couple of weeks for the final outcome.  I will be off to the 2013 Lutheran Educators Association Convocation this week to present two classes.  I am just a tad bit excited about going, but I can't wait to see how the kids finish their trees when I get back....