Trees for Change Challenge Secondary

For Secondary Schools, the Trees for Change Challenge provides resources that help pupils to investigate the benefits of urban trees. Using these resources will support pupils in making meaningful connections with their local area and developing key skills, while also using their voices to advocate for nature, the environment, and their communities.

Resources:

To support in delivering the Trees for Change Challenge, a pupil workbook and teacher guide are available. The teacher guide offers support in planning and delivering this project, suggesting timeframes, differentiation strategies and curricular links. The pupil workbook provides a structure to completing research on urban trees. 

Four video lessons outline the research process and provide more detail on Carbon, Canopy and Connectivity. 

Introduction Lesson

This video introduces the Trees for Change challenge, outlining the three areas of focus of Carbon, Canopy and Connectivity. Research topics are suggested and how to create a report is explained. 

Trees for Change Challenge Secondary Introduction

Supporting video lessons:

Three optional video lessons provide insight into carbon, canopy, and connectivity. Use these to build pupils' understanding of key concepts and support in choosing topics to research and report on. 

Carbon

This lesson introduces climate change, exploring how trees absorb carbon dioxide and reduce air pollution. 

Carbon

Canopy

This lesson examines how trees reinforce towns and cities against extreme weather, such as heavy rainfall and high temperatures. 

Canopy

Connectivity

This lesson introduces biodiversity and ecosystems, exploring how urban greenspaces and trees benefit nature as well as community well-being.

Connectivity

Creating Reports

By working through the provided materials, pupils will be supported in researching the benefits of urban trees, linking to their local area. Research should be used to create a report. This can take the form of a written article or campaign video.

Article:

This could take the form of an essay, newspaper article or blog post. 

  • Maximum length of 1000 words. 
  • Up to three images can be included.
  • Source of image and information within article should be listed.

Video Campaign:

Create a short engaging video, this could take the form of a sketch, a speech or other creative way of presenting information

  • Film the video in portrait for a maximum of one minute.
  • The video should be 70% your own footage.
  • List any footage or quotes used in a Source List.

Enter the Trees for Change Challenge

Entries will be shared with our partners at the Clyde Climate Forest and Trees for Cities. Entries can be created by individual pupils or as part of a group. If entries meet the Young Reporters for the Environment specifications then work can also be submitted to the national competition. See teacher's guide for more information. 

The winning entry will receive a trophy. 

The deadline for entries is 29th January 2027.

About You
An educator, group leader or parent/carer please.
For a group - this is the age of your oldest member.
If you are under 16 this must be an adult.
About Your Entry


Please upload your entry here. Max file size 10MB. PDF or DOCX only.
Please enter a link to your video. i.e. YouTube, Vimeo, SharePoint etc.
Consent
Please tick the box to allow us permission to publish your entry. See media consent and privacy notice below.

Media Consent and Privacy Notice

Please ensure that your school or organisation's photo consent policy allows you to share photos or films with us and that you have the permission of all parents/carers of young people featured in the photos or films before submitting your entry.

By submitting your entry, you are providing consent to us to use media (photos or films) contributed by your school for an indefinite period of time. Media may be used for promotional activity relating to our charity’s work, including: on our website, in newsletters, on social media channels and in publications.

We may also share these with partners and the press. Media is used for approximately five years and then archived securely for possible future use. We cannot withdraw media already published. Media consent for future use can be changed or withdrawn at any time by notifying us.

Your personal information and right to privacy is important to us. It is not our practice to sell, rent or otherwise to disclose your personal information to others. You can read our Privacy Notice here.

Get in touch:

If you require any additional support in completing this challenge, please get in touch with:

education@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

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