Acorn to Arboretum:

Fall Arts and Science at Talent Elementary School

This October, we had the wonderful opportunity to work with 4th and 5th grade classes at Talent Elementary School in the classroom and outside in their campus arbortum.

Students dove into hands-on science, testing acorn viability to learn which seeds have the potential to grow into future trees. We explored plant life cycles together, and learned about how trees grow, reproduce, and sustain themselves. Later, students collected leaves from the trees our volunteers planted on campus last fall to make leaf rubbings, connecting art and observation with the living landscape around them.

The session brought together scientific inquiry, creative expression, and outdoor learning—all centered on the trees growing right outside their classroom windows. Students were engaged, curious, and excited to learn from their own schoolyard environment.

We're grateful to the Southern Oregon Education Service District STEAM Hub who funded this project! If your school is interested in bringing hands-on environmental education to your students, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at ourcf@ourcf.org.