Bark Rubbing Poem

 Did you know the Sugar Maple tree is Vermont ’s State tree? Sugar Maples have a “U” shaped sinus, and the neighboring tree, the Norway Maple, has a V shaped one.  The sinus is the space between the lobes on the leaf.  In addition, if you pull a leaf off the Norway Maple, there is white residue on the stem and not on the Sugar Maple. 

 Materials:

• Crayons
• White Paper
• Marker
• Lined paper
• Tell Me, Tree by Gail Gibbons
• A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard

Before you begin, read Tell Me, Tree and A Tree for All Seasons.

Procedure:

• Take a crayon or two and a white piece of paper to the tree.
• Hold paper against tree bark and rub the crayon on the top half of the paper.
• Look at the tree.
• Take deep breaths and smell the tree.
• Look at the colors of the tree.
• On some line paper, write a poem using the Pattern provided.
• Line 1: Describe the color of the tree (or makes you think about).
  Line 2: Describe how you THINK it would taste or how it would taste to an animal.
  Line 3: Describe what the tree sounds like.
  Line 4: Describe what the tree smells like.
  Line 5: Describe what the tree looks like.
  Line 6: Describe how the tree feels (or makes you feel).

Attach the lined paper to the bottom half of the bark rubbing and glue the whole paper on a piece of colorful construction paper.

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