Science 6: Trees & Forests

Full-page descriptions and colour photos of a variety of common species are included in this field guide for Grades 6-12.

In this three minute video, you can learn how beetles destroy spruce trees, and how spruce trees fight back.

Dig into common mistakes that tree-planting programs make, and explore strategies that can successfully re-green the planet.

Learn how trees are able to communicate with each other through a vast root system and symbiotic fungi, called mycorrhizae.

How can trees help in the fight against climate change? Dig into the efforts to rebuild damaged ecosystems and reduce carbon emissions.

A great resource about the growth of trees, how trees adapt to their environment and the impact mankind has on trees.

This three-minute video explores why leaves change colors. Canopy Meg will explain the science of leaves and seasonal changes.

Canada’s boreal forest covers a vast part of our country, yet there are many things you may not know about it.

This site is an interactive Story Map that details the importance of the boreal region for birds.

Access statistics and key facts about Canada's forestry industry, as related to economy, inventory, management, production and trade.

This video introduces the boreal forest in Canada. You'll find lots more information about animals and plants when you scroll down.

The One Square Inch Project was started by Gordon Hempton, who began traveling around the country looking for places that met the criteria of 'quiet places'.

Before removal from their traditional lands, Indigenous Peoples used controlled burns to manage forests and rangeland.

An article from the archived Alberta Online Encyclopedia.

Silence just might be on the verge of extinction. In “Sanctuaries of Silence,” join Gordon Hempton on an immersive listening journey.

Did you know that deforestation causes more greenhouse gas emissions than all trains, planes and automobiles combined?

This video explains some of the benefits of wildfire. Due to the way they grow, some trees (like lodgepole pines) need fire to survive. Learn about how wildfires contribute to the ecosystem.

This video explains what International Dark Sky Parks are and the reasons why dark skies deserve protection.

This video will explain how scientists group organisms (living things) into kingdoms. Check out the karaoke song and the quiz to test your understanding.

In this 7-minutes video, Annie and Moby go to the zoo and classify the animals they see. Learn about the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates.

Have you ever heard of the peppered moth? It's a great example of how living things can change because their environment has changed.

Every animal's life goes through the same cycle: birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, and finally, death. Learn about each cycle here!

Through adaptations, organisms develop certain features that aid their survival. They pass these on to future generations through the process of natural selection.

Animal cells have many functions that support the life of the animal. Learn about them here!

Learn the characteristics of arthropods by watching this slide show. Arthropods include: crustaceans, arachnids and insects.

Invertebrates do not have backbones, or vertebrae. Examples include jellyfish, sponges, worms, clams, snails, and octopuses.

There are five main groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Watch this slide show to learn about them.

Watch this video to learn about the two kinds of angiosperms. You'll learn the characteristics of monocots and dicots.

Learn about the different types of gymnosperms and their distinctive features. There is a quiz to test yourself after the slide show.

Check out this slide show about the different types of mosses and ferns. Then try out the quiz to test yourself.

Check out this animated video explaining photosynthesis. After you watch the video, test yourself with the quiz.

Watch this video about how plants adapt to different environments. After you watch the video, you can take the quiz to test what you have learned.

Check out this slide show with magnified images of plant cells. If you're interested, you can try the karaoke song and the quiz.

This slide show has images of two types of plants without seeds: vascular and non-vascular. Test yourself with the quiz after you've reviewed the slide show.

Check out this video about different ways that plants reproduce themselves. Test yourself with the quiz after you've watched the video.

How do plants drink all that water? Roots and stems work kind of like a straw, and they are the best friend of a thirsty plant.

The Earth is divided into six major kinds of large ecosystems, or biomes. The major difference between each biome is climate.

Ecosystems are constantly going through gradual changes. Sometimes those changes are natural, and sometimes they are caused by humans.

The carbon cycle describes how carbon passes from the air, to plants, to animals, and back to the air again.

Nitrogen is important to living things because plants and animals use it to make protein, which allows them to live and grow.

Play this video to learn more about the water cycle, the constant movement of water around Earth and the atmosphere.

The Canada's Forests Teaching Kit Series booklets focus on educating youth about the value of forests and the importance of protecting and conserving them. Scroll down on this page

5 short case studies with questions about Alberta’s forests: climate change, forest changes, forest careers, forest management and forest economics. Designed for grades 6-12.

Education resources including study guides, lesson plans, fact sheets, and class activities from Forests Ontario. Students can learn to take a forest inventory.

Resources to use with students as they explore the science of forests and trees. You can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image.

This site includes lesson plans and videos about habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity, species-at-risk, and invasive species.