FERN Investigative Forest Ecology Lesson
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Provided by: Maine TREE Foundation|Published on: August 14, 2025
Lesson PlansScientist Reviewed
5-12
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this program from the Forest Ecology Research Network, Maine students will explore a forested area near their school, collecting data on the different layers of the forest.
- Students will submit their data to the FERN website to analyze, contributing to a statewide citizen science effort.
- Teachers should note that episodes from the Ologies podcast are suggested as supplemental background resources. These episodes contain language that is not appropriate for school, and they should only be used as teacher-facing resources.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Forest Ecology Research Network (FERN), Maine Tree Foundation
Region: Maine
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- By adding their data to the FERN database, students have a relevant and authentic purpose for their learning activities.
- Students will love getting outside and becoming familiar with the forest in their communities.
Prerequisites
- Setting up the plots for study requires advanced planning by the teacher and possible collaboration with a forester.
- The materials list refers to a Forest Trees of Maine book that is not linked or provided. Teachers will need to provide an alternative tree field guide to help students identify trees. This virtual guidebook may be helpful if students have access to individual devices and the internet.
- For the Overstory procedure, teachers and students will need to scroll down on the FERN page linked in the lesson to find the tab to analyze the data.
- For some of the paired activities, teachers will need to request access.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Before conducting the data collection, to make connections to green careers, teachers can invite a forester to the classroom to discuss what they do and go over the proper precautions for collecting data in a forest.
- Teachers can connect these activities to climate change by discussing the importance of trees and forests in sequestering carbon. Teachers can also discuss the impact of global climate change on things like invasive species that can harm trees and forest health.
- The activities and related materials introduce a lot of content-specific vocabulary that is new for students. Students may benefit from creating a glossary or word wall for the terms learned throughout these activities.
- Teachers can discuss the connection between this work and Sustainable Development Goal 15, Life on Land, focusing on the sustainable management of forests.
This lesson tasks students with inventorying a forest plot. Throughout the resource, all key terms are in bold and accompanied by clear definitions. A wealth of external resources are linked, including many from Maine Tree Foundation and the USDA Forest Service. This resource empowers students to act as citizen-scientists and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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