Night Tree – A Mini Unit

Deep in a moonlit forest a family has a special tree. They return to this tree every year to decorate it for all the forest creatures and to rekindle the Christmas spirit in their own way.

Night Tree
by Eve Bunting

Pre-Activities:

1. Find pictures of coniferous and deciduous trees. Check out books on trees and pinecones.

2. Research the history of Christmas trees. One way to do this is to use www.google.com and use the words “Christmas tree history” in the search engine.

3. Take a field trip to a local Christmas tree farm, if possible. If there are not Christmas tree farms in your area, find out where the trees sold are coming from.

During and After the Book Activities:

1. Discuss the family and their traditions and compare them to your own family and your family’s Christmas traditions.

2. List all the animals found in the book. Have you ever seen these animals outside of a picture book or television show? If so, where?

3. Make a bird feeder and record what kinds of birds come to eat and at what time of day.

4. Find a tree on your property. Decorate it with strings of popcorn, dried fruits, and apple pieces. You may also be able to string it with stale bread. Scatter nuts and bread crumbs under the tree. Check everyday to see what is missing. Look for animal tracks to help you discover which animals might have visited the tree. Keep a record of your findings.



Some other books that you may wish to read:

December
By Eve Bunting

The Wild Christmas Reindeer
By Jan Brett

The Polar Express
By Chris Van Allsburg


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