Play, Be, C: The Arborist
Resources and activities themed around a STEM job, to build language and understanding around the world of work.
Overview
The arborist activities are designed to be repeated 3 or 4 times during the year, reflecting the different seasons and the progression of the children in your setting.
Arborists work for lots of different people to make sure their trees are healthy. Arborists are sometimes called Tree surgeons.
Arborists are:
Collaborative when they meet with people to plan how to look after their trees. They work in teams so they can keep each other safe.
Observant and notice what they need to do keep trees healthy, or if there are branches that need to be removed or cut down.
Resilient as their job is very tiring: climbing trees, digging out stumps and clearing away branches.
Early Learning Goals links
- Mathematics ELG: Numerical Patterns
- Understanding the World ELG: Past and Present
- Understanding the World ELG: People, Culture and Communities
- Understanding the World ELG: The Natural World
- Expressive Arts and Design ELG: Creating with Materials
Characteristics of effective learning
Our EYFS units provide enabling environments with teaching and support from adults. Reflecting on the characteristics of effective teaching and learning, children will have opportunity to learn and develop by:
• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Taken from Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
© Crown copyright 2023 licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Book
We have designed these STEM focused questions to use alongside the questioning you would usually use when reading a story.
Download questions for Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Go here.
Activities
These adult led activities and provocations will support the introduction of the arborist career to the children in your setting.
Whittling adult led activity
Compare and describe sticks while whittling with a vegetable peeler.
Den building adult led activity
Compare shapes and sizes as you build a den.
Bark rubbing provocation
How many different types of bark can you find in your setting?
Leaf snap provocation
Play a matching game using leaves you find in your outdoor area.
Noisy trees provocation
Investigate making different sounds using parts of trees.
Tree top walk adult led activity
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STEM at home activities
This is a link to arelated STEM at home activity. This could be sent out for families to try at home, or run in school at a family session.
Resources
You can download our arborist poster to use in your setting.
Being an arborist is a very physical job and nearly every day will involve climbing trees.
An arborist doesn’t just use a chainsaw to cut down trees, they also nurture and grow them. Typical work for an arborist includes pest control, tree moving, stump removal, soil maintenance and general tree maintenance.
Safety is very important for arborists so preparing and maintaining the tools and equipment is vital. Arborists usually work in teams for safety, with each member of the team knowing their role.
Arborists meet with homeowners, town planners and other people who own trees to discuss and plan how to maintain trees. They often working alongside other landscapers. Arborists need to understand rules and regulations such as local bylaws or housing boundaries. Many trees need maintenance near roads so careful planning and team coordination of traffic control is required.
An arborist’s day is determined by the seasons and weather. Some days it is too dangerous to climb a tree with a chainsaw and after a storm there is always lots of work to be done. Trees and shrubs need trimming and pruning at specific times of year to promote or inhibit growth and knowing this is all part of the arborist’s job.
Other important parts of the job include understanding how to fell a tree safely, leaving the worksite clean, tidy and safe and knowing how to dispose of the branches and foliage.
