Students will understand why the northernmost coastal forests of California are referred to as a temperate rainforest. They will compare factors between temperate and tropical rainforests, including latitude, average rainfall, soils, canopy heights, biomass, and biodiversity, in order to understand how and why these two biomes differ.

Students will review the concept of biomass. They will identify the life history strategies of the coast redwood that allows them to live 2,000 years and grow over 320 feet tall. They will understand that through the process of photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide are converted into carbohydrates such as cellulose. Students will estimate the biomass of their classroom using the estimated dry weight of themselves and will compare their estimate to the biomass of some of largest redwood trees.

Students will compare and contrast similarities and differences between the three members of the redwood subfamily in order to understand the concept of common ancestry and species diversity.  Students will compare distribution, size, longevity, morphology, adaptations, and other notable features. By doing so they will understand that many organisms are classified based on shared similar traits.

Students will understand how natural disturbances are critical to maintaining proper forest function and increasing biodiversity. They will learn how old-growth forest ecosystems respond to various disturbances (e.g., fire, flood, landslides, wind) and will summarize positive and negative effects. In an extension activity, they will illustrate a human- caused disturbance to a redwood forest ecosystem and will list potential post-disturbance responses and conditions.

Students will analyze and graphically represent data from a tree-thinning project using a graphing program to see how young redwood trees respond to various levels of thinning. They will understand that ecosystems are dynamic and different management strategies produce different results. Following their data analysis, they will briefly summarize the results of the study in a short written paragraph.

Students will graphically illustrate the results of a tree-thinning project conducted in Redwood National Park that reduced Douglas-fir and other competitive species in order to restore and enhance redwood dominance. Students will use their graphs to assist with an analysis to evaluate whether two different thinning regimes support current management objectives 35 years since the stand was clearcut.

After reading about the world’s tallest redwood trees, students will conduct a short series of athletic challenges to find various lengths. They will use these base measurements to calculate equivalences compared to height of some of the world’s tallest trees. Optionally, students will write out their calculations using algebraic expression.

Students will create one or more scale models of some of the largest redwood trees using selected data collected from a one-hectare plot located in Prairie Creek State Park. Measurements include tree height, trunk volume, and diameter breast height (dbh) of some of the largest and most complex trees known.

Students will be able to define biomass and will understand that old- growth redwood forests have the highest above-ground biomass of any ecosystem on the planet. They will graphically illustrate the dry weights of different fern mats sampled in the old-growth canopy. These proportions are taken from a fern mat study conducted in coast redwood and Sitka spruce trees.  Afterward, they will interpret the data and answer follow up questions.

Students will interpret a figure showing summarized data from one of the most complex forest canopies of the world. They will write summaries about what the data attempts to reveal and will show their understanding through questioning.