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HOW TO TELL THEM FROM OTHER TREES

The spruce and hemlock belong to the evergreen class and may be told from the other trees by their leaves. The characteristic leaves of the spruce are much shorter than the needles of the pines but are longer than the leaves of the red cedar or arborvitae. They are neither arranged in clusters like those of the larch, nor in feathery layers like those of the cypress. They adhere to the tree throughout the year, while the leaves of the larch and cypress shed in the fall.
Spruce Needles and Cones
The spruces are pyramidal-shaped trees, with tall and tapering trunks, thickly covered with branches, forming a compact crown. They are widely distributed throughout the cold and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, where they often form thick forests over extended areas.
The Northern Spruce
There are eighteen recognized species of spruce. The Norway spruce has been chosen as a type for this group because it is so commonly planted in the northeastern part of the United States.

The needles and branches of the spruce are coarse. The individual leaves of the spruce are four-sided and green or blue on the underside.



THE NORWAY SPRUCE (Picea excelsa modern name Picea abies)

Distinguishing characters: The characteristic appearance of the full-grown tree is due to the drooping branchlets carried on main branches which bend upward.
The Northern Spruce
Leaf: The leaves are dark green in color and are arranged spirally, thus making the twigs coarser to the touch than the twigs of the hemlock or fir. In cross-section, the individual leaflet is quadrilateral, while that of the pine is triangular.
Northern Spruce Needles
Form and size: A large tree with a straight, undivided trunk and a well-shaped, conical crown.

Range: Northern Europe, Asia, northern North America.
Range for New York State
Soil and location: Grows in cool, moist situations.
Northern Spruce Trunks
Enemies: The foliage of the spruce is sometimes affected by red spider, but is apt to be more seriously injured by drought, wind, and late frosts.

Value for planting: Commonly planted as an ornamental tree and for hedges. It does well for this purpose in a cool northern climate, but in the vicinity of New York City and further south it does not do as well, losing its lower branches at an early age, and becoming generally scraggly in appearance.
Northern Spruce Trunk Cross-Section
Commercial value: The wood is light and soft and is used for construction timber, paper pulp, and fuel.
Northern Spruce Bark
Other characters: The fruit is a large slender cone, four to seven inches long.
Northern Spruce Cones

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the lesson.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

This lesson involves the Norway spruce tree, which is an evergreen with branchlets that droop off their upward bent branches. Unlike the triangular pine needles grouped in fascicles, quadrilateral spruce needles connect individually to the branches in spirals. Due to its pleasing shape, the Northern spruce is used as the showcase Christmas tree in cities around the world. The modern scientific (Latinized) name of the Norway spruce is Picea abies.

Vocabulary

Polygon: A plane figure bounded by edges that are all straight lines.
Pyramidal: Shaped like a solid with triangular lateral faces and an often square or rectangular base.
Triangular: Shaped like a polygon with three sides and three angles.
Quadrilateral: Shaped like a polygon with four sides.
Spiral: A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
Conical: Shaped like a cone, a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle around one of its altitudes.

Concepts

TREES AND GEOMETRIC FORMS

Trees incorporate polygon shapes, including pyramids, triangles, and quadrilaterals.

  1. Polygons are figures bounded by straight edges.
  2. Pyramids are solids with triangular lateral faces and an often square or rectangular base.
  3. Does the pyramid below have a square or rectangular base?
  4. Triangles are polygons with three sides and three angles.
  5. Quadrilaterals are polygons with four sides.

Trees also incorporate spirals and cones, however these are not polygons and they have curved edges.

  1. A spiral is a curve that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
  2. A cone is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Study the Lesson Pictures

  • Study the lesson pictures and describe how they relate to the lesson.

Activity 3: Take a Nature Walk

  • Bring a small sketchbook and embark on a nature walk.
  • Search for any type of spruce tree. If you cannot find a spruce tree, choose another evergreen tree to study.
  • Study and sketch the appearance, habitat, leaves, and cones of the tree.
  • Use the sketch and any collected specimens to create the field book entry.

Activity 4: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete page 44 in 'Science Field Book for Fourth Grade.'

Review

Question 1

Do pine tree needles have a triangular or quadrilateral cross-section?
1 / 7

Answer 1

Pine tree needles have a triangular cross-section.
1 / 7

Question 2

Do northern spruce tree needles have a triangular or quadrilateral cross-section?
2 / 7

Answer 2

Northern spruce tree needles have a quadrilateral cross-section.
2 / 7

Question 3

Do northern spruce trees have fascicles?
3 / 7

Answer 3

No, northern spruce tree needles connect individually to the branches.
3 / 7

Question 4

How do cities worldwide use the north spruce at Christmas?
4 / 7

Answer 4

The Northern spruce is used as the showcase Christmas tree in cities around the world.
4 / 7

Question 5

How many sides does a quadrilateral have?
5 / 7

Answer 5

Quadrilaterals have four sides.
5 / 7

Question 6

What is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle?
6 / 7

Answer 6

A cone is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle.
6 / 7

Question 7

What is a curve that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point
7 / 7

Answer 7

A spiral is a curve that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
7 / 7

  1. Do pine tree needles have a triangular or quadrilateral cross-section? Pine tree needles have a triangular cross-section.
  2. Do northern spruce tree needles have a triangular or quadrilateral cross-section? Northern spruce tree needles have a quadrilateral cross-section.
  3. Do northern spruce trees have fascicles? No, northern spruce tree needles connect individually to the branches.
  4. How do cities worldwide use the north spruce at Christmas? The Northern spruce is used as the showcase Christmas tree in cities around the world.
  5. How many sides does a quadrilateral have? Quadrilaterals have four sides.
  6. What is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle? A cone is a solid of revolution formed by rotating a triangle.
  7. What is a curve that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point A spiral is a curve that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.

References

  1. 'Studies of Trees' by Jacob Joshua Levison. gutenberg.org/ebooks/16116. n.p.
  2. 'Northern spruce.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

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