TAUNTON - Fourth-grade students across Taunton mixed fun with science to learn all about trees. Canadian arborist and tree enthusiast Professor Elwood Pricklethorn brought his unique and quirky style to Taunton on May 8.
Professor Pricklethorn used props, puns and Dad jokes to explain some of the benefits of trees.
Students took an active role in the presentation, helping to demonstrate how plants make food. They wore silly hats to represent some of the elements of photosynthesis, like water, the sun and leaves.
“The students were really engaged in the presentation,” said Edmund H. Bennett Elementary School
Assistant Principal Steven Morgenweck. “The moment Professor Pricklethorn asked a question or asked for volunteers so many hands shot up. It was a joy to see.”
The presentation built on what the fourth graders have learned this year about trees, plants and photosynthesis.
“This was a perfect opportunity to give students a more active and hands-on experience,” said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Chris Baratta. “We always look for new and exciting ways to get students to
engage with the subject matter.”
Students left the presentation with a Professor Pricklethorn coloring and activity book. Each student also took home a sapling to plant. Parks, Recreation, Cemeteries and Public Grounds Commissioner AJ Marshall chose the saplings to match Taunton’s ecosystem.
In addition to Commissioner Marshall, Taunton Public Schools partnered with The Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreational Urban Forestry Program for the presentations.
“We’d like to thank our partners at the state and city level for making this event possible,” said Superintendent Cabral. “We hope that this experience has inspired our fourth-graders to continue to be stewards of the environment and to appreciate the beauty and importance of trees in our community."
After visiting Taunton, Professor Pricklethorn stopped in Falmouth before heading back to Toronto, Canada.
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