What can you tell by your tree rings?

An activity I did with my 4th graders...Think of a tree. How can you tell how old a tree is?

 

By their rings, which are usually revealed after a tree is cut down. (pictured)

What else can you tell by these rings? Well, you can tell how well they have been taken care of, if they received proper nourishment and sunlight, have they survived a natural disaster/fire and more...

If you were a tree, what would your rings reveal about your life? DRAW IT! We worked on that together and I found it interesting.

While my babies are about nine and ten and didn't have much to discuss in terms of damages (which I am so relieved by), as I worked on my own it was introspective of how life can be. Some of my rings were fine, but as I get older there are some damaged rings.

I am not damage but there are some things in life that you survive that affect your growth. The important thing is to choose to grow. Fortunately, for humans you don't have to wait until you are cut down to examine your life. You can examine your choices daily.