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Be Like a Tree

Provided by: Green Ninja |Published on: February 9, 2026

Videos

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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.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Science, English Language Arts

Authors: Green Ninja

Region: Global

Languages: English

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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

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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.

Related Teaching Resources

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.