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How did a tree travel halfway around the world?

How did a tree travel halfway around the world?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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DISCUSS:
How could the same kind of tree grow in only two places, thousands of
miles apart?
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DISCUSS:
How could a koa seed travel all the way from Hawaii to Réunion?
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DISCUSS:
How will the structure around these seeds change how they travel
through the air?
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Step
01/18
You’ll work with a partner.
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02/18
Get your supplies.
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Step
03/18
Write your name on the back of your maple model. Then fold dot A to
dot B. When you’re done, the gray triangle should be covered.
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04/18
Fold the triangle up so that it covers the picture of a seed.
Slide your paper clip on the bottom of your seed.
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05/18
Cut along the dotted line. Stop at the stop sign. When you’re done,
this part of your maple model should have two flaps.
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06/18
Fold flap 1 on the line toward you. Fold flap 2 on the line away from
you. Push your folded flaps up with your fingers so they stick out
sideways.
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07/18
When your teacher tells you, stand up next to your desk. Pretend to
be a tree. Root your feet to the ground, stand up tall, and stretch
your arms up.
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08/18
Hold your maple model from the side with two fingers. Hold it high
above your head. Drop your model and observe how it falls. Repeat.
You have 3 minutes to test.
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09/18
Discuss:
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10/18
Write your name on the back of your rain tree model. Cut along the 2
dotted black lines. Stop at the stop sign. When you’re done, you’ll
have two slits.
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11/18
Hold the two ends of your printout and make a “U.”
Slide the slit at one end into the slit at the other.
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12/18
Pretend to be a tree! Hold your rain tree model in the middle with the
ends pointing sideways. Hold it above your head, drop it, and observe
how it falls.
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Work with your partner to explore how both of your models fall.
Compare what is the same and what is different.
You have 3 minutes to test.
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14/18
Discuss:
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Write your name on the back of your koa model.
Fold it in half along the black line.
Run your fingernail along the fold to crease it.
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Hold your koa model with two fingers at one end. Hold your model
above your head, drop it, and observe how it falls. Repeat.
You have 3 minutes to test.
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Discuss:
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Discuss:
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DISCUSS:
Do you think the wind could carry a koa seed halfway across the world?
Why or why not?
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DISCUSS:
What could help a cherry seed move from one place to another?
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DISCUSS:
What kind of animal could carry a koa seed across the ocean to the other
side of the world?
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Anchor Connection Discuss. Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by the past lesson?
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01/12
In the past lesson, you learned that plants make seeds, and seeds become new plants. Discuss. This is a dandelion. Where are the seeds on it?
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02/12
Each one of the little puffs is a seed. The seeds become new plants. Those new plants make seeds, and those seeds become more new plants. It is a cycle!
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03/12
With enough seeds, you can have a whole field of dandelions, just like this! These dandelions came from old dandelions that grew before them.
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04/12
The plants in Death Valley are not dandelions, but they are similar. They grow from seeds, too. Discuss. Where do you think the seeds for the 2016 superbloom came from?
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Step
05/12
The seeds for the 2016 superbloom came from the last superbloom in 2005. Discuss. Where do you think the seeds for every superbloom come from?
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06/12
The seeds for every superbloom come from the plants that grew in the last one. It is a cycle. You can’t see the seeds here, but they are there, waiting to grow.
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Step
07/12
This is what sand and seeds look like. They look very similar. Most people don’t even see the seeds in Death Valley. If you ever visit Death Valley, keep an eye out for seeds hiding in the sand.
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Step
08/12
Discuss. We know that seeds are important for superblooms. What should these students add to their sheets? How should they do it?
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Step
09/12
Get your Superbloom Cycle worksheet.
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10/12
If you didn’t draw seeds before, draw and label them here. The seeds go on the ground.
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If you didn’t draw new seeds coming from the superbloom, draw and label them here. The seeds fall off of the flowers and land on the ground.
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Put your sheet somewhere safe. We still have more to learn about the superbloom!
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seed


1 of 10

a part of a plant that can grow into a baby plant
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seedling


2 of 10

a young plant that grows from a seed
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structure


3 of 10

the specific form and shape of something
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disperse


4 of 10

to move and spread out
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wind dispersal


5 of 10

when the wind moves a seed from one place to another
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water dispersal


6 of 10

when water moves a seed from one place to another
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animal dispersal


7 of 10

when an animal moves a seed from one place to another
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observe


8 of 10

to pay close attention to something
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compare


9 of 10

to notice what is similar and what is different between things
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model


10 of 10

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
THIS LESSON WAS REVISED ON FEB 1, 2023. Here is a link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students investigate the mystery of the koa tree, a type of tree that grows in only two places—islands halfway across the world from one another. In the activity, students develop three different physical models of seed structures. They observe how structure affects the seed’s function in dispersing away from the tree. Then, they use these observations to evaluate whether koa seeds are likely dispersed by wind, water, or animals.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Koa Seed Model printout
Make sure to prep these before class (see instructions below). 		1 per 3 students
Maple Seed Model printout
Make sure to prep these before class (see instructions below). 		1 per 5 students
Rain Tree Seed Model printout
Make sure to prep these before class (see instructions below). 		1 per 6 students
Scissors
1 pair per student
Paper Clips
1 clip per student
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Each student will make their own seed models, but having a partner is useful for discussion and testing during the activity. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Prepare Seed Models

Each of the printouts has multiple seed models. We suggest cutting these seed models ahead of time for your students. Using a paper cutter can make this prep go quickly. Print out and prep enough so that each student has one Maple Seed Model, one Rain Tree Seed Model, and one Koa Seed Model.

Make Sure You Have Enough Space

Each student will be making and dropping three different seed structure models. Students will be asked to stand up and find a space to drop their seed models. In our tests, the seed models didn’t move very far, so students should need just a few feet around their desks.

Teacher Background

You and your students may notice that the seed models don’t look exactly like the real seed structures. The models may look different than the real things, but they should mimic the function of how the real seeds fall and float to the ground.

Exploration

10 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins

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Vocabulary

Unit Reading

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