Building-Bridges-v5
- 1. Connecting Diaspora Armenian Students with their Environmental Heritage Building BridgesBuilding Bridges www.armeniatree.org A newsletter of the Armenia Tree Project Ages 6-10, Issue No. 5 Can you find all 6 pomegranates in this picture?Can you find all 6 pomegranates in this picture?
- 2. 2 If you need help with this,or any other activity inthis newsletter,go towww.armeniatree.org/buildingbridges todownload the answer key. The photos below are close-up views of some of the trees that ATP plants in Armenia. Unscramble the letters beneath each photo. Rearrange the letters in the white circles to discover the name of the mystery tree. CRACK THE CODE! KOA EPNI LEMPA URCEPS DOLMAN INTONUMA SAH G RULBERYM CITPOAR HRECYR MYSTERY TREE ©DIMARIK1619/DREAMSTIME(APRICOTS);©MIHAILSYAROV/DREAMSTIME(MULBERRY);©CLAUDIODIVIZIA/DREAMSTIME(OAK)
- 3. Only a handful of critically endangered Did You Know? The fruit trees that ATP plants produce over Of the approximately 3,600 are found nowhere else on earth. 123 plant species in Armenia, It takes about two trees to make enough oxygen for one person to live every year. The Taiga Forest is the largest forest in the world and can be found in Canada and Russia. This forest makes more oxygen for the world than any other forest! 3 pounds of fruit annually. 400,000 The General Sherman, a giant sequoia in California, is the biggest AND tallest tree in the world. At 275 feet tall, it’s taller than 22 male African elephants standing on top of one another and at 30 feet wide, it’s wider than 4 school buses! 365seeds Armenian tradition says that there are representing every day of the year. in one pomegranate The bark of the Cinchona tree provides quinine which helps fight malaria and high fevers from mosquito bites. Caucasian Leopards live in the Shikahogh Forest Reserve in Armenia. © HEIKE RAU/DREAMSTIME © ZASTAVKIN/DREAMSTIME © WWF ALEXANDER MALKHASYAN
- 4. 1. I am an old tree and I will tell you The Story of Forests. I have lived here for many years with my friends. Together, we made forests and we covered most of the land. 2. People came here to pick our fruit and hunt for animals. They rested in our shade and sheltered from wind and rain. 3. One day, they realized they could keep warm by cutting and burning our wood. 6. There were more and more people in the world who needed homes so they cut down more forests to build more cities. 7. Forests were cut down to make railroads to connect people living in different cities. Roads were built in place of forests.4
- 5. 4. Later, people started to farm the land. They needed more land to plant crops and graze their animals, so they cut us down to make room. 5. Over time, people found out they could use our wood to make all kinds of things. 8. Forests were being cut down faster than they were growing. This made me sad because there were very few of us left. Many of our animal friends lost their homes and the air became less clean. This was bad for our home, our Earth. 9. Eventually people realized how important we are for the environment, and they began to preserve forests by cutting down fewer of us and planting new friends around us. 10. Armenia Tree Project helps the environment by planting trees and teaching people why they are important. I have lost many friends, but now I have found new ones. 5 This is called Reforestation. This is called Deforestation. ©ANTHONYSELL/DREAMSTIME(PARCHMENTTEXTURE)
- 6. A cross section of a tree is called a tree cookie and the rings within it tell how old the tree is and what it has lived through. A ring is formed each year the tree is alive and sometimes it will have markings from a fire or even a drought it went through that year. Gather your friends and play the tree cookie game to see how good you are at reading a tree! You Will Need: a playing piece for each player (such as a pebble) 4 small pieces of paper with 1 through 4 written on them a hat/bag in which to put the pieces of paper How to Play: 1. Begin by placing your playing pieces in the middle of the tree cookie. The youngest player goes first, then the game continues clockwise. 2. Pull out a piece of paper from the hat or bag. Move your playing piece outward as many rings as the number on the paper. 3. Watch out! If you land on a tree marking, use the legend below to find out if you have to move backward or forward. 4. Remember to place the piece of paper in the hat or bag before the next player’s turn. 5. First player to reach the bark wins! The Tree Cookie Game A narrow ring is formed during a period of drought because of slow growth. Move backward 1 ring. This is a scar left by a forest fire. Lose a turn. A wide ring is formed during a rainy season period because of rapid growth. Move outward 1 ring. These tunnels are caused by wood-boring insects and are a sign of insect infestation. Move backward 2 rings. Xylem and phloem are a tree’s pathways for water and food. Move 1 ring outward. This is the tree bark. You win! 6
- 7. fores t fire fore stfire rainy season rai nyseason dry se ason dry season dryseason dryseason insect infestation insectinfestation xylem & phloem BARK! BARK! BARK! xylem&phloem Can youguess how old this tree was when it was cutdown? START! 7answer:fifteen ©MRTWISTER/DREAMSTIME(BIRCHPLYWOODTEXTURE)
- 8. PHOTOGRAPHYBYAARONSPAGNOLO/WWW.AARONSPAGNOLO.NET rubber gloves chocolate bar fireworks chewing gum egg carton nail polish buttons paddle ball pencils ping pong balls wooden blocks shoe polish crayons bookvanilla extract vanilla bean cutting board cork board SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! Do you know what chewing gum, ping pong balls, and crayons all have in common? They are all things you might find in your home that are made from trees! Look below and you will see some more examples of things that are made from trees. Try to spot the 11 differences between the two photos. Ready, set, go! 8
- 9. aram and maral are at the market shopping for a picnic. and ARAM M A RA L let's get some apricots! OK! you can't visit Armenia and not taste our apricots. the apricot was recently featured on an Armenian stamp. cool! i also heard that in ancient times Armenians celebrated the New Year in spring, and danced around an apricot tree, which they called "donadzar", meaning holiday tree. look! duduks! i’ll get you one! welcome! these are made of the finest apricot wood. let me tell you a story. legend has it that Wind fell in love with an apricot tree and defended it against Hurricane. Hurricane agreed to spare the tree if Wind would stay on land forever, otherwise the apricot tree would die. When autumn came and the leaves fell, Wind had nothing to play with and flew away to join his friends. So the apricot tree died and only one small branch survived. Years later, a BOY found the branch and used it to carve a duduk. As he brought it close to his lips, the duduk played a sad melody all by itself. this one isn't playing all by itself, that's for sure! i will need a lot of practice. later that day... in the meantime, have an apricot! and look! there is an ATP nursery full of apricot tree seedlings ready to be planted. let's go to the nursery! i want to learn how to plant a tree. wait! can i have an apricot, too? 9
- 10. WE NEED TREES! Leaves catch energy from the sun and make their own food by combining it with the carbon dioxide in the air and the water absorbed by the tree's roots. This is called photosynthesis. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release clean oxygen for us to breathe. Trees make shade, cooling the air around them. This gives us a place where we can rest when it’s too hot. The roots of a tree hold the soil together and prevent erosion. This way, the soil stays in place when strong winds blow and heavy rain falls. Mushrooms are decomposers that break down dead plants and animals into particles called nutrients. Trees can then absorb these nutrients to help them grow. Trees bear delicious fruits. Trees provide a habitat for many living things. Trees provide many resources to animals and people - you can discover some of these in this picture. For example, many animals live and eat in the tree below. They are part of a food web which shows how they depend on each other for food. Using the arrows for help, place the stickers inside the dashed circles to fill in this tree's food web. Hint: Start with the sun, it’s the source of energy! 10
- 11. Lights, Camera, Environmental ACTION! FIRST EV ER AT P ENV IRO NM ENTA L CO NT EST ! Each entry will be judged on four criteria: creativity of environmental action, quality of video, involvement of students in the video-making process, and overall impression. Only one submission per class will be accepted. If two or more classes reside within the same grade at your school, each class can submit a separate entry. Entries by individual students will not be accepted. ATP reserves the right to reuse and distribute the entries on its website or via any other medium. Entries will not be returned. Contest results are determined by ATP and decisions are final. Dear Building Bridges Readers! The winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2015. Contest Terms and Conditions: ATP is inviting your class to participate in our first ever environmental contest! If you are an Armenian student in grades 3-5th, please create a 2-3 minute video with your class that shows how ATP has inspired you to make a difference in your community or in Armenia. Did you raise money to plant trees in Armenia? Did you start a recycling program at your school? Your video should show us what your class was inspired to do and how you accomplished your goal. How to enter Go to armeniatree.org/environmentalcontest by January 31st, 2015 to upload your video and fill out an online form. You will be asked to write an explanation of how your entry relates to the theme. We will choose one winning class from each grade. Cool prizes! Each winning class will receive: an iPad loaded with science and nature themed apps a year-long subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine. a grove of ten trees planted in your school’s name in Armenia. your school name and class picture will also appear in the next edition of our Building Bridges newsletter. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ATP has a horse named Nishan. He helps prepare the soil for planting trees! COOL FACT! Building Bridges is an ATP program that helps students learn more about Armenia's environment. Be sure to visit our website to explore more fun ways to learn about Armenia's environment and check out the previous Building Bridges newsletters at www.armeniatree.org/buildingbridges ABOUT US 11 .
- 12. Funded by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation as part of ATP’s Building Bridges Program Developed by Nayiri Haroutunian and Sarah Hayes. Designed and illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian Armenia Tree Project (617) 926-8733 (TREE) www.armeniatree.org printed on recycled paper ✄ Do you want to be a tree hero and make Armenia greener? You can make a donation to plant a tree. Just cut out this form and mail it with your donation to the address below. And thanks! Check Visa Mastercard Discover American Express $ BILLING ADDRESS: Parent’s Name Address Credit Card # Expiration Date Phone Number Email Card-Holder's Signature YES! I WANT TO PLANT A TREE! ENCLOSED IS MY DONATION OF: PAYMENT METHOD: Your name Please make checks payable in U.S. dollars to "Armenia Tree Project" and mail to Armenia Tree Project, 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472 BB14 Deforestation- the removal of trees, often as a result of human activities Reforestation- the planting of trees where forests once existed but were destroyed Xylem- the channels in a tree that carry water up the stem or trunk Phloem- the channels in a tree that carry up food and other nutrients up the stem or trunk Photosynthesis- the process by which plants make food and oxygen by capturing sunlight and mixing water and carbon dioxide together Food Web- a community of animals and plants that rely on each other for food Habitat- a type of environment where many plants and animals live together (e.g. woodland, lake) Decomposer- a type of organism, like bacteria or mushrooms, that break down dead organic material into nutrients that other animals and plants consume Erosion- is the washing away of soil by the flow of water GLOSSARY H2 O O2 CO 2