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Family Literacy Backpacks

Family fun and learning are promoted through take-home, theme-focused backpacks. Ideas for materials and activities which can be included in these great backpacks are provided.

Climb the Tree of Fun

Caution: Before using these materials for student activities and backpacks, check all weblinks to ensure they are active and appropriate for student and family use. Visit our template and help page which explains how to download a template then copy activities from this website to create your own, unique backpack. If you use these materials, please give appropriate credit to the authoring schools. Thank you!

The Corporation for Educational Technology

M S D Washington Township
Indianapolis, IN

English/Language Arts Academic Standards

Reading Comprehension

Reading Vocabulary

Family Activities

Tree Database

As you learn and gather information about trees, keep track of it in a database.

Take a Hike!

As a family take your "Fandex" cards and see if you can identify the trees in your backyard, local park, school yard, etc.

Let's Graph!

When you are on your hike pick 5 trees to measure the circumference of the trunk. Take the information and graph it in a spreadsheet.

Books to Include

A Tree Is Nice By Janice May Udry - Ages 4-8 Eyewitness Trees DK Vision - all ages The Giving Tree http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Giving-Tree.html By Shel Silverstein - Ages 4-8 The View from the Cherry Tree By Willo Davis Roberts - Ages 8-12 Tree of Life- The World of the African Baobab By Barbara Bash - A ges 4-8 Trees Fandex- Family Field Guides

Web Sites for Fun

Lorax Saves the Trees Game http://www.seussville.com/games/lorax/ Help Lorax gather Truffula seeds and replant the Truffula forest. This Seussville game requires Shockwave. National Arbor Day Foundation http://www.arborday.org/trees/ This site is full of great information and fun quizzes to take. The Giving Tree Lesson Plan http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/givingtree.cfm This is a lesson plan for kindergarten and first grade students that can accompany this book. Tree Quiz 1 http://www.quia.com/quiz/1121699.html?AP_rand=87715517 This is a tree identification quiz. Tree Quiz 2 http://www.oplin.org/tree/index.html This quiz will test your knowledge on what is a tree.

List of Additional Resources

Videos

Swiss Family Robinson by Walt Disney

Computer Software

National Parks by Simply Media, Inc.

Resource Link

If you are thinking of creating a literacy backpack for outdoors, here are suggested resources you can include in your backpack: outdoors resources.