Lesson Plans and Related Materials

Most materials prepared by participant teachers.

Recent Resources

Harvard Forest-related Data Nuggets (K16 classroom resources incorporating authentic data and contemporary research):

Storm Stories: Teaching Environmental History through Tree Rings, by Karen Murphy and Danielle Murphy

Buds, Leaves and Global Warming

Bennett. 2011. Phenology and student scientists: part I and part II.
Bennett. 2012. Phenology and student scientists (5th grade).
Bennett. 2012. Using Phenocam images with the Schoolyard phenology protocol: part I and part II. 
Bennett. 2016. Budburst Vimeo Movie Trailer.
Bennett. 2016. Autumn Vimeo Movie Trailer. 
Bennett. 2016. Green Leaves Vimeo Movie Trailer.
Bennett. 2016. Growing Season Vimeo Movie Trailer.
Bennett, Snow. 2016. Taking Phenology to the Next Level.
Blewitt. 2009. Connecting phenology study to learning about climate change.
Blewitt. 2011. Approaching Walden lesson plans.
Blewitt. 2011. Peak autumn leaf color in Thoreau’s time and today.
Blewitt. 2016. Using the Phenocam Website with Your Students.
Blewitt,M. and Cushing, E.  2017. Why do Teachers Engage in Citizen Science?  Oral Presentation.
Bordeau. 2012. Forest ecology project: Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming.
Greene. 2009. Science fair phenology posters.
Greene. 2010. Schoolyear integration.
Greene. 2011. Tree analysis: anatomy of a scientific paper.
Juo. 2012. Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming (high school).
LeSage, 2013.  Buds, Leaves and Global Warming.
LeTellier. 2013. Analyzing the Fall Data: It’s Time to Tell the Story about Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming. (Selected in 2019 by the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network as an international online resource passing rigorous review by scientists and educators.)
LeTellier. 2013. Introductory Unit: Fall Leaf Color and Drop.
LeTellier. 2013. Buds and Leaves. Freshman.
Letellier. 2016. Overview of Student Graphing Work
Letellier. 2016. Calculate Growing Season instructions
Letellier. 2016. Growing Season Graphing Rubric
Letellier. 2016. Student 1 Data Tables and Graph of Growing Season (Excel)
Letellier. 2016. Student 1 Growing Season Graphs and Conclusion
Letellier. 2016. Student 2 Data Tables and Graph of Growing Season (Excel)
Letellier. 2016. Student 2 Growing Season Graphs and Conclusion
Letellier. 2016. Student  3 Growing Season Graphs and Conclusion
Letellier. 2016. Student 4 Growing Season Graphs and Conclusion
Letellier. 2016. Going All the Way! Putting Five Years of Data into a Story.  
Levy. 2010. Data organizers for transferring field data to computer.
Levy. 2011. Belchertown HS: lots goin’ on.
Levy. 2013. Match a Leaf Activity.
Levy. 2014. Tell the Story of Our Tree
Levy. 2015. Micro-Directions for Buds, Leaves, Global Warming Related Activities
Levy. 2015. Student Instructions for Entering Buds, Leaves Data onto Online Database
Levy. 2019. Fall Phenology Student Sheet: Being a Data Manager and a Tree Binder Custodian
Levy. 2019 Growing Season History Graph Templates
Levy. 2019. Student Sheets: Buds and Leaves Quadrat Study
Lucia. 2012. Talking Trees (7th grade).
Lucia. 2014. Exploring the Harvard Forest DataBase.
Lucia. 2014. Making Sense of Data; Exploring the Harvard Forest Tree Study DataBase.
Lucia. 2020. Graphing the Growing Season Worksheet – PDF or word doc
Lucia. 2020. Adopt a Tree at Home: Remote Spring Data Sheet – PDF or word doc
Lucia. 2020. Early Spring Bud Observation Sheet – PDF or word doc
Lucia. 2020. Study Branch Photos: Buds 4-17-20 – PDF or word doc
Margarita. 2020. Remote Buds Observations by Photos.
Margarita. 2020. Fall Phenology Remote Observations.
Matthei. 2016.  Tree Identification.
Matthei. 2016.  MAST Presentation.
Matthei. 2016. MAST Student Data Worksheet.
Matthei. 2016. Student Phenology Report Sample 1
Matthei. 2016. Student Phenology Report Sample 2
Matthei. 2016. Student Phenology Data Graph and Tables
McCarthy. 2020. Remote BioBlitz: the Westwood Yard Challenge.
Meehan. 2011. What to do with the data.
Mossman. 2011. Graphing Activities.
Mossman. 2014. Connections to the Common Core, MA Frameworks and Next Generation Scient Standards for HF Schoolyard Ecology Buds, Leaves and Global Warming Study.
Mossman. 2014. Outline of Introductory Lessons for HF Schoolyard Ecology Buds, Leaves and Global Warming. 
Mossman, J. 2017. Striving for Good Data. 
Mossman, J. 2017. Outdoor Field Visit Rubric. 
Mossman.2017. Budburst Data Table.
Mossman.2017. Leaf Fall Data Table.
Mossman.2017. Growing Season Calculation Worksheet.
Mossman.2017. Excel Growing Season Graphing Template.
Mossman.2017. Growing Season Data Table.
Mossman. 2018. Introductory Lessons for Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming.
Mossman. 2018.   Student Work:  Growing Season Graphs.
Mossman. 2019. Introductory Lessons for Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming.
Mowry. 2012. Can drawing enhance your powers of observation?
Murphy, N. 2017. How to Make Awesome Graphs. 
Porter, M. 2020. CT Audubon Society: Becoming Plant Scientists
Postans. 2012. Buds, leaves, and global warming.
Postans. 2013. Biochemistry of Autumn Leaf Tree Phenology.
Reed. 2020. Tree Mystery Game: Powerpoint or PDF
Reed. 2019. Outline for Student Book for Buds, Leaves and Global Warming Project.
Reed. 2019. Drawing Leaves through the Microscope-Student Sheet.
Robichaud. 2007. Buds and leaves data analysis.
Rosenthal. 2010. Generating a temperature vs. leaf fall graph.
Schofield. 2020. Make Your Own Nature Journal (video and step-by-step instructions).
Senechal. 2009. High school phenology lessons.
Senechal. 2010. Student presentation.
Senechal. 2011. Graphing student data.
Senechal. 2012. 7 years of leaf drop data (high school).
Snow, O’Keefe.2020. HF-Created Remote Backyard Field Sheet: Word doc or PDF

Woolly Bully, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Archangelo. 2012. Incorporating the HWA into high school ecology and field botany.
Bennett. 2007. HWA data analysis lesson.
Bennett. 2010. Curriculum materials.
Bennett. 2010. Plot studies with students.
Bennett. 2012. Mentor teacher presentation: Woolly Bully
Bennett. 2015. “Woolly Bully”
Bennett. 2019. Mentor Teacher Presentation: Woolly Bully
Griffin. 2011. Enhancing the Woolly Bully project.
Griffin. 2012. Adelgid simulation: What if Emily’s infected adelgid tree spreads?
Guertin. 2012. The Woolly Bully (high school).
Hinkle. 2021. Template for Team Hemlock Report.
Hinkle. 2021. Student Sample of Team Hemlock Report.
Larsen. 2017. Invasive Species Student-created iMovie trailer.
Lena, Rooks. 2018. Student-led Woolly Bully Research.
MacDuffie. 2010. Student slide show.
MacDuffie. 2012. Student microclimate slide show 1.
MacDuffie. 2012. Student microclimate slide show 2.
McDonald. 2010. Coniferous forest journal questions.
McDonald. 2013. Forest Ecology – HWA.
McDonald. 2015. Forest Ecology Unit
Murphy. 2013. Plot Study – Comparison of Hemlock and Deciduous Forests.
Murphy. 2014. Woolly Bully LTER Planning Guide.
Murphy. 2014. Plot Study – A Comparison of the Ecology of Hemlock and Deciduous Forests.

Our Changing Forests

Alcorn, T. 2019. Changing Forests Field Work Roles
Alcorn, T. 2019. New England Landscape Town Meeting Lesson Plan
Alcorn, T. 2019. New England Landscape Town Meeting Handouts
Blewitt,M. and Cushing, E.  2017. Why do Teachers Engage in Citizen Science?  Oral Presentation.
Gibson. 2015. Starting the Our Changing Forests Project; Year One
Kermenski. 2014. Our Changing Forests Student Video. (Quicktime Video)
Kostich. 2014. Integrating Our Changing Forests into the High School Curriculum.
Kostich. 2014.  Schoolyard Field Guide Sample.
Kostich. 2015. Changing Forests Project Challenges and Successes 2013-15
Lang. 2016. Harvard Forest Demonstration Plot Field Guide
Levy. 2019. Our Changing Forests Mentor Teacher Presentation
McCracken, Snow. 2014. Introducing our Newest project, “Our Changing Forests; Notes from a Schoolyard Teacher 
McCracken. 2018. Our Changing Forests Mentor Teacher Presentation
McCracken. 2018. All Scientists Meeting Land Use Change Poster
McCracken. 2019. Visualizing the Forest Using Graphs Lesson Plan
Sautter, J. 2019. New England Landscape Data Lesson Plan
Scanio. 2018. Our Changing Forests Spatial Analysis and Land Use Maps
Scanio. 2019. Using Tableau and ArcGIS Online to Explore Our Changing Forests Data
Scanio, J. 2019. New England Landscape Explorer Lesson Plan 1
Scanio, J. 2019. New England Landscape Explorer Student Handout
Scanio, J. 2019. New England Landscape Explorer Graphs
Scanio, J. 2019. New England Landscape Explorer Watershed Data
Scanio, J. 2019. New England Landscape Explorer Student Images

Land Use Change Map Series and Related Resources

HF Schoolyard Land Use Change Maps.
Levy. 2018. Making Sense of Land Use Maps
McCracken, 2018. Your town, how will it grow?
Cushing. 2018.  Broadening Student Understanding

Vernal Pools

Gibson. 2015. Life in a Wicked Big Puddle.
Erickson. 2012. Cousin’s Field Vernal Pool: What other factors influence this wetland?
Farrow, 2013. Ponds and Pools at Drumlin Farm.
Farrow, Pitkin. 2016. Ecological Monitoring Program for All Learners at Drumlin Farm.
Fernandez-Davila. 2012. Connecting creatures: student investigations and research.
Fernandez-Davila. 2014. Middle School Vernal Pool Project Video
Frenandez-Davila. 2015. Student Vernal Pool Project Slides. Section 1
Frenandez-Davila. 2015. Student Vernal Pool Project Slides. Section 2
Frenandez-Davila. 2015. Student Vernal Pool Project Slides. Section 3
Frenandez-Davila. 2015. Student Vernal Pool Project Slides. Section 4
Frenandez-Davila. 2015. Student Vernal Pool Project Slides. Section 5
Gagnon. 2007. VP data analysis: mosquito larvae.
Gagnon. 2009. Triorama of life cycle of a frog.
Gibson. 2014. Shepley’s Hill Vernal Pool.
Jacobs. 2011. The Bob Starr Vernal Pool.
Kablik. 2012. A vernal pool story: every student a scientist (5th grade).
Marcoux. 2011. Plotting the pool footprint with Excel.
Ruggles. 2007. VP data analysis: choose the appropriate graph.
Sparks. 2012. McCarthy vernal pool: mini research projects (high school).
Wile. 2009. Introduction to VP studies.

Data Analysis

Andrews. 2019. A Window Into a Tree’s World (thru Tree Rings) Data Nugget,
Andrews. 2019. Teacher Guide: A Window Into a Tree’s World (thru Tree Rings) Data Nugget.
Bennett, Farrow, et al. 2012. Graphs and Data Tables from the Level 3 Data Workshop.
Bennett. 2011. Using Google Document to enter data.
Davis. 2007. Graphing in Excel.Jevon. 2018. Carbon Eddy Flux Tower Data Nugget
Kah. 2012. Smithsonian Ecological Research Center. Tree Carbon Calculator Worksheet.
Mossman.2017. Budburst Data Table.
Mossman.2017. Leaf Fall Data Table.
Mossman.2017. Growing Season Calculation Worksheet.
Mossman.2017. Excel Growing Season Graphing Template.
Mossman.2017. Growing Season Data Table.
Mossman.2019. Growing Season 3 Slides.
Scanio. 2019. Changing Forest Data Analysis in 3 Slides.
Van Valkenburg. 2009. Fall Phenology Template.

Selected Graphs from Teachers

Teachers Sharing Links with Teachers 

Tree ID Resources from Louise Levy of Belchertown High School (2021):