Chapter 1: The Voice of a Fourth Grader

Working with elementary students to help them discover their unique literary voices creates a meaningful connection. They express their thoughts freely, pushing beyond their insecurities to communicate from the heart.

One fourth-grade student stands out with her vision of saving our planet by planting trees and enriching the Earth. She envisions rallying communities in over 50 nations to triple the annual tree planting efforts.

She believes this initiative would be a fitting tribute to the Arbor Day Foundation's 50th anniversary, particularly since global contributions have facilitated the planting of nearly 500 million trees.

This enthusiastic pre-teen wants to write an opinion article about Arbor Day for her school newspaper, and she is thrilled at the prospect.

She confidently shares, “A tree represents life. It grows like we do, but it also faces challenges. It can help us through tough times and remind us of what we cherish.”

I ask, “What do you mean by challenges?”

She responds, “Like when a tree is in the desert. It lacks water and must adapt.”

I point out, “Those are valuable insights, but some readers might not connect with that idea. Everything should relate to your main point, or your audience may lose focus.”

She nods in agreement.

I suggest, “Let’s concentrate on why we should plant more trees on our planet.”

Her enthusiasm shines through as she asserts, “Trees provide us with oxygen, and we give them carbon dioxide. We need each other to survive!”

I smile, saying, “That’s a fantastic point to start with. What else do you think?”

After a moment of reflection, she adds, “Many people don’t even plant a single tree.”

Tilting my head, I inquire, “What do you mean by that?” I gesture with my hands, “Let’s refine it.”

She mirrors my gesture, responding, “Understood. Let’s narrow it down.”

I explain, “You’ll need at least three solid arguments. If we want to encourage tree planting, we need to invite everyone to dig into the ground at least three times a year.”

Her eyes sparkle with excitement. “Exactly! We occupy so little land, and trees need a part of it. We have to share our planet.”

She outlines her key points: the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen, the available space for planting more trees, the importance of coexisting with trees, and the community aspect of planting trees together.

I give her a high-five, saying, “Your points are brilliant. Uniting communities to plant more trees would have a significant impact!”

She pumps her fists in excitement.

I turn to my computer, asking, “Arbor Day is celebrated in spring in our area. Which three days do you propose?”

She suggests, “It should be during the transition from spring to summer since it’s not too hot.”

“That sounds great,” I reply, typing into Google: What’s the best time to plant trees?

I share my findings with her: “According to HouseLogic, it’s ideal to ‘Plant trees when they have ample time to establish roots before facing challenges like extreme heat, cold, or insufficient water.’ The article also notes that optimal planting times can vary by tree species.”

She chuckles, glancing at her calendar. “Everyone can enjoy planting trees together on weekends!”

I agree as she continues, “How about the fourth Sunday of March, April, and May for warmer climates? And for cooler regions, we could choose three Sundays in September and October.”

“That works,” I say. “Now, what’s your revised topic sentence? Be sure to include your main arguments.”

With a louder voice, she declares, “We should have three Arbor Day celebrations each year because we need trees to live on Earth, and they need us to survive; we can plant trees in unused spaces, and this would bring us together as a community.”

“Excellent!” I respond. “Have you ever heard of symbiosis?”

She shakes her head.

I explain, “Symbiosis is when different organisms live closely together and rely on one another for survival.”

Her eyes widen as I elaborate, “For instance, we need plants to survive because they produce oxygen, and they rely on our carbon dioxide.”

“Is that similar to the relationship between the clownfish and the sea anemone in Finding Nemo?” she asks.

“Exactly!” I reply, grinning. “They depend on each other to thrive in the ocean.”

Our conversation inspires her, and she dedicates the next thirty minutes to writing her opinion piece.

Who knows if this young girl's heartfelt appeal for increased global tree planting will positively affect our planet? What truly matters is that she understands her voice is important.

“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.” Genesis 1:11 (NIV)

Thank you for reading this article.

Chapter 2: The Importance of Tree Planting

To further understand tree planting, watch the following videos:

First, learn about the Arbor Day Foundation's initiative to distribute free trees through this video:

This video provides practical tips for tree planting as Arbor Day approaches: