Teacher & Parent Resources

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, the Tillamook Forest Center Education Program offers a variety of resources to help you connect with the exhibits in the Center and the forest ecosystem beyond its doors. Listed below are resources for guided or self-guided trips and materials that are available for loan.

Guided Teacher Program Packets[top]

If you have registered for a field trip please download the appropriate program packet below.  Each program packet contains planning information as well as the pre-site, on-site and post site activities. If you have difficulty downloading this packet please call, toll free, (866) 930-4646 and the education staff can mail you a hard copy.

Programs available include:

Custom Tours[top]

You can maximize the experience for you and your students at the Center when you know what to expect in advance. Schedule a tour just for you and your staff and you’ll learn the logistics of field trip planning and find out how Center resources can support your curriculum.

Self-guided Teacher Planning Packet[top]

You can maximize the experience for you and your students at the Center when you know what to expect in advance. Schedule a tour just for you and your staff and you’ll learn the logistics of field trip planning and find out how Center resources can support your curriculum.

Self-guided Worksheets & Scavenger Hunt Forms[top]

The Tillamook Forest Center staff have worked together with teachers over the years to come up with engaging questions for a variety of self-guided worksheets. Use or combine these questions to create your own worksheets that will meet your specific needs. Select worksheets by topic, grade level or specific area in the exhibit hall by using this matrix.

Oregon Department of Education Standards[top]

These documents tie State of Oregon content standards to Tillamook Forest Center education programs. Activities are correlated to the benchmark levels for the third, fifth and eighth grade levels in social science, science, math, English, the arts, and even physical education!

Books[top]

Fire on the Wind, by Linda Crew, is a story of the Tillamook Burn told through the eyes of a young girl, going through puberty, in 1933. This historical fiction novel brings to reality the hardships of victories of life in a logging camp. A 35 book set is available for check-out. Most appropriate for 6th to 8th grade students.

NatureScope, Trees Are Terrific! by National Wildlife Federation. Most appropriate for 2nd to 8th grade students. Through indoor and outdoor activities that show kids how to plant and protect trees, Trees Are Terrific teaches kids about the numerous tree species, leaves and trunk rings, why we need forests, and finally, how to celebrate trees!

Browse our comprehensive list of books about trees, plants, forests and nature. Books are listed by title, author, appropriate grade level and also carry recommendations from our staff.

Media[top]

VHS

The Sea of Green: The Sea of Green takes you on a journey back through time to witness the evolution of today’s Tillamook State Forest. One of the world’s largest reforestation projects has returned the area to a healthy and productive forest today, managed for economic, social and environmental benefits. Most appropriate for 3rd to 8th grade students.

DVD

Legacy of Fire: The Sea of Green takes you on a journey back through time to witness the evolution of today’s Tillamook State Forest. One of the world’s largest reforestation projects has returned the area to a healthy and productive forest today, managed for economic, social and environmental benefits. Most appropriate for 3rd to 8th grade students.

Forest Education Kits[top]

The Tillamook Forest Center has kits for loan to help you teach your students about trees and forests. You can request an education kit by filling out this PDF form and faxing it to our office at (503) 842-2663. The kits are on loan for up to two weeks and are free of cost but require a $50 refundable deposit. Educators can make arrangements to obtain the kits in person at the nearest ODF district office in their area.

The K–2nd Grade Kit

Like people, plants grow, change and have basic needs. Use trees and their characteristics as a focus for teaching cycle and change. Sample lessons include:

Tree Observation and Appreciation

Students will know what makes a tree a tree by observing and comparing their overall structure to other plants, collecting tree material and information, and creating artwork. Students will also be able to recognize trees as either conifers or hardwoods, and list some of the benefits of trees.

Seasonal Change

A tree changes its appearance each season. Through the use of hand lenses, leaf color graphing and felt board assembly, students will be able to identify a tree stage and the corresponding season, and describe the differences among evergreen and deciduous trees.

The 3rd–4th Grade Kit

Help your students discover the importance of trees in your community and explore the connections between early Oregonians and trees! Sample lessons include:

Trees in Your Town

Students use observation and measurement tools to gather data on the benefits of trees in your local community. Students determine how trees contribute to energy conservation as well as the health and beauty of the community.

Products of the Past

Students take on the role of a pioneer team or a Northwest Indian tribe and experience the same trials and tribulations of Oregon’s early peoples. Students will learn how trees were an important solution to many hardships.