This article continues a series on 3-D habitats and science topics. To learn how to make a brown bag tree, please refer to Part 1.

Today, I am going to share how I use these simple bag trees to construct the four seasons.  You can have the children each make their own seasonal tree or make a large class tree out of a grocery sack and create a seasonal setting.

FALL TREE:  I prefer to use tissue paper as it is easy to tear and glue.  You can also use construction paper.

Apply torn tissue paper with Elmer's glue.  A Q-tip works well.  I tell the children to “dot” the branch with glue and press the tissue paper into the dot.

It is fun to leave a few torn tissues laying at the bottom of the fall tree!

SPRING TREE:  I love to purchase tissue paper on clearance.  Here I found a great tissue paper at Target that I used for the Spring Tree.  Again, just tear it!

To add the spring gesture – add a few blossoms in the tree.  I love the glorious blossoms on trees in spring!

SUMMER TREE: I use dark green tissue paper for the full lush of summer!

WINTER TREE:  Make up a batch of snow paint and you have a wonderful winter tree!

(Snow Paint:  in a Dixie cup, squirt one shot of shaving cream, add a squeeze of glue, and a squeeze of white paint.  Be careful to not add too much glue and paint!  Keep it fluffy!  Apply with a popsicle stick!)
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
FOCUS:  Non-Fiction Books – Informational text such as

Watching the Seasons (Welcome Books: Watching Nature) by Edana Eckart

Possible application:
Students read text about the four seasons and then create a 3-D representation of their understanding.  Additionally, after creating the seasonal tree, the students could write about the season.

• Speaking & Listening Standard: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
  • • Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
• Language Art Standard: Vocabulary
  • • Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., use of vocabulary to describe and identify seasons through trees).
• Writing Standard: Text Types and Purposes
  • • Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite season is . . .)