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 Your challenge: To find out which is the oldest tree on our school field! Your challenge is to find and calculate how old the oldest tree is at Manea School. You will be working in small groups to solve this problem. Are you ready for the challenge?

  Open your tree explorer pack. What equipment have you got for this challenge? What do you think you will have to do to be successful?

 Draw a map. What does it need to show? Can you include our classroom? How many trees will it show?

  1) Measure 1m from the ground against the tree trunk using a meter stick. 1m

  2) Then, measure the circumference of the trunk (measuring to the nearest cm!)

  3) Record your results accurately using a table. We will complete the final step back in class!

  Roughly, every 2.5cm of the circumference of the tree represents about one year’s growth. So to estimate the age of a living tree, divide the circumference by 2.5. For example a tree with a circumference of 40cm will be sixteen years old. 40cm ÷ 2.5 = 16 years old.

  Have you managed to work out which tree was the oldest? How old was it? Was it much older than the other trees? Extension: What was the difference in age between the oldest and the youngest tree you measured?