Ms. Sullivan's Class

Ms. Sullivan's Third Grade Class
Dr. Martin Luther King's School
Providence, Rhode Island

Our class, Ms Sullivan’s third grade at Dr. Martin Luther King School in Providence, Rhode Island went for a walk and viewed the trees on the grounds of our school on November 1, 2004. We identified the trees by name and took a leaf or other samples from the trees when possible. We used word processing software to make a table so we could compare how the fall season affects the trees around our school.

Students found that we have many deciduous trees and shrubs and evergreen trees around our school. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in fall as the number of hours of daylight decreases and regrow them in spring. This happens in the fall because deciduous plants and trees stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment that converts sunlight into chemical energy and then these trees eventually lose their leaves. The leaves on deciduous trees turn brilliant colors, ranging from red to orange to yellow to brown. Deciduous trees are found in the middle latitudes around the globe and have four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter

Evergreen plants do not lose their leaves seasonally. Pines and firs are examples of evergreens.
We will check our trees again in the winter, early spring and in late spring.

*Name of Tree or Shrub*	*Fall Color of Leaves*	*Shape of Leaves*	*How many leaves were on the tree or shrub on November 1, 2004*	*Where to find the tree or shrub.*	*Web Site here more information about this tree can be found.*
American Linden	The leaves are changing from green to yellow.	The shape of the leaf is a little like a heart.	There are still some leaves on this tree.	You can find this tree on Howell Street right after the playground and across the street.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Linden Trees: Types: American Linden
Amur Privet	This shrub has many dark green leaves.	The leaves are oval shaped.	There are still many leaves on this shrub.	You can find this shrub on Howell Street near the schoolyard. It forms a hedge	Privet - Amur North River
Bradford Pear	The leaves on this tree are still green,	The leaves are oval shaped.	There still are many leaves on this tree.	You can find this tree next to the steps near Kindergarten.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Pear
Bridalwreath Spirea			The leaves were missing from this bush.	You can find this tree inside the wall (near the school) on the right of the entrance to the school from the play yard.	Spiraea prunifolia--Bridalwreath Spirea
Crab-apple	The leaves were green,	The leaves are oval.	There were some leaves on the tree.	You can find this tree on the left of the sidewalk going to the main door of the school on Camp Street.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Crabapple
Eastern White Pine	My tree is an evergreen and has green needles.	The green needles are soft and in bunches like little brooms.	The needles stay on this tree all year.	You can find this tree on Camp Street near the addition.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Pine: Types: Eastern White Pine
Flowering Dogwood	The leaves of this tree are dark red, orange, bright red and green.	The leaves like little pine trees and the tree has red berries.	There are still many leaves and berries on the tree.	You can find this tree to the left of the door to the corridor outside unit 4.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Dogwoods: Types: Flowering Dogwood
Ginkgo	Bright Yellow	Fan Shaped Leaves		You can find this tree in the green space outside the cafeteria	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Ginkgo Biloba
Green Ash			There were no leaves left on this tree.	You can find this tree on Howell Street near the stairs to the play yard.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Ash: Types: Green Ash
Hawthorn	This tree has green leaves.	The leaf has an oval shape with a point on one end.	There are still has leaves on it.	You can find this tree next to the stairs coming to the play yard from Howell Street and in the grass area above the play yard.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Washington Hawthorn
Honeylocust	My tree has yellow leaves.	The leaves are small and yellow.	Some leaves are on the tree but many leaves have fallen	You can find this tree at the entrance to the teacher parking lot.	Tree Guide - The National Arbor Day Foundation
Japanese Black Pine	This tree is from the pine family. It has green pointy needles.	This tree has long and pointy needles that smell good.		You can find this tree at the play yard near the door, which leads to the corridor, which leads to Unit 4.	Japanese Black Pine
Katsura Tree	The leaves are green and yellow.	The shapes of the leaves are oval.	Some leaves have fallen but there still are leaves on the tree	You can find this tree at the right side of the entrance from Howell Street to the steps leading to the play yard.	KatsuraC
Kwanzan Cherry	The leaves are green and red.	The leaves are oval.	There are still many leaves on this tree.	You can find this tree outside the window of Room 13.	Tree Guide - The National Arbor Day Foundation
London Plane	The leaves were changing from green to golden.	The leaf is wide and the bark of this tree comes off.	This tree was still full of leaves.	In front of the school near unit 3 and in the teacher’s parking lot.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: London Planetree
Norway Maple	The leaves of this tree are yellow.	This tree has very wide leaves.	This tree still has many leaves.	You can find this tree on Howell close to the corner of Carrington Avenue and on Carrington Street.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Maple Trees: Types: Norway Maple
Pink Weeping Cherry	The leaf of this tree is green with a red stem.	The leaf is oval and a little prickly on the sides.	Most of the leaves were missing from this tree.	You can find this tree at the right of the stairs to the main entrance to the school.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Weeping Cherry
Scarlet Firethorn	The leaves were red, yellow, and brown.	The leaves looked like feathers.	There were other leaves on this bush	You can find this shrub behind the wall next to the entrance to the play yard from the lobby of the school.	Pyracantha coccinea - scarlet firethorn * Plants Encyclopedia - garten.cz
Scotch Pine	This is an evergreen tree with green needles.	This tree has pine needles and pine cones that smell good.	The pine needles stay on this tree all year long.	You can find this tree outside the kindergarten play yard.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Species: Pine: Types: Scotch Pine
Silver Maple	The leaves are yellow on top and grey on the bottom.	The leaves look like fingers.	It is a tall tree and still has leaves but some have fallen.	You can find this big tree on Camp Street near the corner of Carrington Avenue.	TreeHelp.com: Trees: Maple Trees: Types: Silver Maple
Vanhoutte Spirea	This shrub has green leaves.	The leaves are oval.	There are still leaves on this shrub.	You can find this shrub inside the wall (near the wall) on the right of the entrance to the school from the play yard.	Vanhoutte spirea
Witch-hazel	The leaves are yellow.	There are spine shaped leaves	There are leaves on my tree	You can find this tree in the grass close to the wall in the play yard.	Trees: Hamamelis virginiana

Some information about tree locations was found in a booklet called Trees at Our School found in the science room.

The information on this web page meets the Standard E2
Student(s) will produce a report that creates an organizing structure appropriate to a specific purpose, audience, and context.