Trees Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

1. List and be able to explain 10 Bible verses in which leaves or trees appear.

   Answer: Here are 10 verses with leaves or trees and what each one means: 1) Genesis 1:11-12 - God created the trees that give fruit and seed. 2) Genesis 2:9 - in the garden of Eden there was the tree of life. 3) Psalm 1:3 - whoever follows God is like a tree planted near the water. 4) Psalm 92:12 - the righteous one grows like the palm tree. 5) Genesis 3:7 - Adam and Eve made clothes with fig leaves. 6) Matthew 7:17 - every good tree gives good fruit. 7) Revelation 22:2 - the leaves of the tree of life are used for healing. 8) Jeremiah 17:8 - whoever trusts in God is a tree with leaves that are always green. 9) Mark 11:13 - Jesus saw a fig tree with no fruit, only leaves. 10) Daniel 4:10-12 - the king dreamed of a very big tree. — The Bible uses trees and leaves many times to teach about God's creation and about growing close to Him.

2. Classify, preserve and identify 10 leaves from different trees. Be able to identify them, even without resorting to the catalog or labels of the collection.

   Answer: Do it like this with an adult: 1) Gather 10 leaves from different trees (ask for help to pick them without hurting the plant). 2) Place each leaf between two sheets of paper and press it under heavy books for a few days to dry. 3) Glue each leaf onto a piece of cardstock and write the name of the tree underneath. 4) Practice by looking at the shape, the size, and the edges of each leaf until you can say the name just by looking, without peeking at the label. — Picking, drying, and studying leaves helps you notice that each tree has a leaf with a different shape.

3. Plant and care for a plant at your home or in your community (pot, garden, park, etc.).

   Answer: With the help of an adult: 1) Choose a pot or a little corner of soil and a seedling or seed. 2) Put in good soil, plant the seed or the seedling, and cover it with a little soil. 3) Water it without soaking it and leave it in a place with sunlight. 4) Take care of it every day: water it, pull out the little weeds, and watch the plant grow. — Planting and watering every day teaches you to lovingly care for what God created.

4. Present five ways in which seeds are spread to produce new plants and trees.

   Answer: Seeds travel in five ways: 1) By the wind, which carries light seeds far away (like those of the dandelion). 2) By animals, which eat the fruit and drop the seed in their poop in another place. 3) By sticking to the fur of animals or to people's clothes. 4) By water, which carries the seed floating down the river. 5) By bursting, when the dry pod opens and shoots the seeds far away. — God gave different ways for seeds to go far and grow into new plants in many places.

5. Collect 25 different seeds.

   Answer: With an adult: 1) Gather seeds from fruits you eat (apple, papaya, watermelon, pumpkin, beans, corn) and from plants in the backyard or on the street. 2) Let each seed dry well on top of a piece of paper. 3) Store each type in separate little bags or little pots. 4) Glue down or keep 25 different seeds and write the name of each one. Wash your hands after handling them. — Gathering many different seeds shows how God created plants of all types and sizes.

6. Make two different decorations using leaves from trees or plants.

   Answer: With an adult, make two different decorations: 1) A little picture or card by gluing dry leaves into the shape of a little animal, a flower, or a landscape. 2) A stamp painting: put paint on a leaf and press it onto the paper to print its design. You can also make a crown or a mobile with leaves. Let it dry and show it to your family. — Using leaves to decorate shows how things from nature can become beautiful and full of creativity.

7. Study a tree that grows near your home and observe the things that happen to it. Then write its story (made up or based on real facts), of the animals that use it as shelter, of the people who care for it, etc.

   Answer: With an adult: 1) Choose a tree near your house and visit it a few times. 2) Observe and write down: what the leaves are like, whether it has flowers or fruit, what little creatures show up (birds, ants, squirrels), and who waters or cares for it. 3) Then write a little story telling the daily life of that tree, which can be real or made up, with the animals and the people who appear. 4) Make a drawing and read the story to your class. — Watching the same tree calmly helps you notice that it is full of life and helps many animals and people.