Take a walk around the school campus and look for trees. Use a tree identification source to determine what kinds of trees grow in your area. Have students estimate the age of trees. Read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The story is about a man who cuts down trees because people need the product created by the trees.
Problems occur, but the trees still come down until the very last one is chopped.
It seems the entire species is completely wiped out until one seed is discovered to save it from extinction. Discuss how the removal of trees could have disastrous effects. Destroying forests, little by little, harm the habitat for many animals and can eventually wipe out a forest region. During your visit to Effigy Mounds National Monument, students can identify trees along their hike. They may think of ways the people who settled the area may have used the trees.