Indigenous Forest Day

To celebrate this year’s Indigenous Forest Day on November 23 (Portugal), my 8^th Year Carpentry students (8CL) have an interesting project. On November 23 they will plant several trees in our schoolyard and garden and on each tree there will be a wooden plaque with the name of the tree and a poem.

In the meantime, they are reading poems in Portuguese and English. In their Art classes they must draw a poster and in their Carpentry workshop they will make the wooden plaques.

English lessons – Some of the activities:

• Reading three poems: Cut down another tree, The Tree, Dear Pine tree
• Illustrating the poems
• Reading the poems out loud
• Acting out
• Singing (improvisation)

Highlights: They enjoyed acting out and singing “Cut down another tree”. They produced some beautiful drawings too. They didn’t like the first reading because the poems have too many words they can’t understand at first sight … They are false beginners …

Cut down another tree

I want a napkin to dab my face
Cut down another tree.
I need a house built on this space
Cut down another tree.
I need a desk to write upon
Cut down another tree.
A picture in a frame of which I'm fond
Cut down another tree.
A gazebo would look great outside
Cut down another tree.
I'll build a fence, so I can hide
Cut down another tree.
A parking lot is needed here
Cut down another tree.
Hey, I can't breathe, there is no air
There are no more trees, you see.

by Edwin Robinette

The Tree

The calm quiet strength of a tree
Anchored deep in the earth
Reaching high in the sky
The calm quiet strength of a tree

The calm quiet strength of a tree
Full of life from its roots
To the tiniest branch
The calm quiet strength of a tree

And oh, how it comforts me
How it teaches me
Without a sound
Then I realize at once
That this tree and I are one
In eternity

The calm quiet strength of a tree
From the weight of its trunk
To its delicate leaves
The calm quiet strength of a tree

The calm quiet strength of a tree
Showing anyone near
All the secrets of time
The calm quiet strength of a tree

by Tom Splitt

Dear Pine Tree

You’re such a tall pine
Reaching the clouds in the sky
Your trunk is so strong.

Sometimes we hug you,
Our arms embrace your body
We feel life in there.

Now they say you’re old
That they will soon cut you down
We won’t let them in.

Hand in hand around,
My friends and I will hide you
They can’t hurt your skin.

Swing in the cool wind
And take in lots of fresh air
To keep fit and fine.

by Alípio Barra