Materials
different tree seeds (acorns, sweet gum pods, walnuts, maple "helicopter" seeds, cherries, pinecones, and so on)
drawing paper
crayons
pictures of the mature trees from the seeds you selected
Instructions
1. Sit the children in a circle and have them take a few deep breaths with you.
2. Explain that when we breathe in, fresh air fills our lungs. The lungs are the two
balloon-like spaces in our chests.
3. Now take a balloon and blow into it. Hold the air in the balloon and have the
children take a deep breath, filling their lungs like this balloon.
4. Next, slowly let the air out of the balloon and have the children slowly exhale.
Repeat the process several times.
5. Ask the children, "What happens if we do not breathe?" Some children might
want to try inhaling deeply and holding their breath to find out. They will
discover that the air they breathe is an essential part of life. We cannot live
without air for much longer than a minute!
6. Show a picture of a tree. Ask the children how trees help us. Explain that trees
help us breathe: When we breathe in, we are using the air that the trees have
touched.
7. Next, show a picture of air pollution and let the children share. Why is this
bad for people, animals, plants, and trees? How can we keep our air clean
and healthy?
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Do the children understand the importance of the air?
* Are the children beginning to understand that plants help produce the air we
breathe?
