Urban Guide Lesson 4: How Can I Be a Steward?
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Provided by: Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education|Published on: July 10, 2026
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Synopsis
- This lesson teaches the meaning of a steward as someone who makes decisions and takes actions today so resources stay healthy for the future, and shows how everyday choices affect the urban forest.
- Students discuss situation cards to decide how to be good stewards, then read career profiles and perform short skits about the many people who care for urban forests, from arborists and city foresters to volunteers and elected officials.
Subjects: Science, Social Studies
Authors: LEAF Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Education
Region: United States, Wisconsin
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Materials:
- To engage with this lesson, teachers in Wisconsin can borrow the associated LEAF kit for all necessary materials.
- Otherwise, teachers will need:
- Printed Situation cards (one per group of 2-3 students)
- Printed Students of the Urban Forest cards (one per group)
- Props for the skit (watering cans, shovels, trowels, etc.)
- Printouts of activity resources
- Printouts of forestry career biographies
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this lesson on its own or as a sequence with the rest of the urban guide unit (Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and Lesson 3).
- The lesson closes with an assessment in which students explain why urban forests are important and describe an action they can take to be a steward, and it can serve as a wrap-up for all four urban forest lessons.
- This lesson runs 60-80 minutes; the optional urban forestry career biography jigsaw adds time and comes in two reading versions so you can match student level.
- The career profiles make this a strong entry point for connecting environmental stewardship to real green jobs; consider inviting a local forester or arborist to extend the discussion.
Differentiation:
- Even though this resource was designed for Wisconsin audiences, it can be used in any classroom with minimal changes.
- Follow age-based recommendations provided by the lesson authors to target the lesson to your students' grade level.
This lesson teaches students who takes care of urban forests as part of their job and how others can be good stewards of them. The lesson encourages students to think about how they can be stewards directly and highlights the importance of community, cooperation, and multiple people or groups working together to maintain our resources and reach a goal. This idea and mentality can be expanded and applied to solving other climate and environmental challenges.
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Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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