Be Like a Tree
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by: Green Ninja|Published on: February 9, 2026
VideosScientist Reviewed
34567
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource from Green Ninja includes an animation for a poem in which a building is trying to be more like a tree.
- The teaching guide asks students to analyze this poem for the differences between poetry and prose and to determine how a building uses biomimicry to be more like a tree.
Subjects: Science, English Language Arts
Authors: Green Ninja
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The animation in this video is colorful and engaging.
- Students will love this fun introduction to sustainable buildings!
Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to define the term biomimicry for students before showing the video or analyzing the poem.
- Some of the Additional Resources links may be broken.
Differentiation & Implementation
- As students watch the video, they can write down all of the ways the building is trying to be like a tree.
- Given the transcript of the poem from the video, students can highlight the poetic devices used, such as rhyme, personification, and metaphor. Students can also plot the rhyme scheme of this poem.
- This video can hook students into a dedicated lesson on green roofs and other ways to make buildings more eco-friendly. Teachers can use this resource to find other activities on green roofs.
- Teachers can use this resource to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Green Ninja
Green Ninja grew out of academic research at San Jose State University that demonstrated how well-designed educational experiences can promote pro-environmental attitudes and behavior in youth. This research is the foundation for the Green Ninja middle school science curriculum that has been adopted by the California Department of Education as an approved NGSS science provider. Today, Green Ninja is the only commercial science publisher in the U.S. that uses local climate and environmental problems as a lens for teaching science. Green Ninja is a California Benefit Corporation with the goal of creating a cleaner and healthier planet for everyone.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
