Tree Shapes Sorting and Vocabulary Worksheet | NGSS Plant Structure | Elementary

Tree Shapes Sorting and Vocabulary Worksheet | NGSS Plant Structure | Elementary Science Activity

Identify and describe different tree shapes—including oval, conical, vase, columnar, round, spreading, pyramidal, open, weeping, and irregular—using both visual observation and vocabulary practice.

Perfect for elementary science, nature studies, or outdoor learning, this printable activity supports Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by encouraging students to observe patterns in the natural world and classify living things based on external features.

• Recognize and name common tree shapes
• Classify trees by external structure and form
• Use descriptive vocabulary to communicate scientific observations
• Develop early botany and environmental literacy skills

Standards Alignment

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

• K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to survive.
• 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
• 3-LS3-1: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – ELA

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1: Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade-level topics and texts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content.