Redwoods in the classroom

Redwoods are a way into big ideas using something children can stand next to. The same tree opens deep time, climate, Victorian history, measurement, and local fieldwork — and unlike most of those subjects, there is probably an example within reach of the school gate.

The cross-curricular hooks are unusually rich for a single subject. In science, redwoods lead into how trees grow, how they store carbon, and how living things are classified. In history, they are a direct trace of the 1850s planting craze and what Victorian Britain valued. In geography, they are a question about where things grow and why, and a reason to read a map. In maths, a tree is a real object to measure — height by shadow or clinometer, girth by tape — with all the uncertainty that makes measurement honest.

A simple field visit ties it together: find a redwood near your school, measure its girth, and record what you see. Find the nearest redwoods to your postcode, use the method in Measuring trees, and check access before you travel.

We are early in building free, classroom-ready materials, and we would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise. If you teach KS2–KS3 and would use materials like this — or want to help shape them — get in touch.