Wood Magic resources for teachers

Home » Education » Wood Magic Forest Fair » Wood Magic resources for teachers

Teachers

2023 Wood Magic schedule

Piedmont Forestry Center, (Tamassee)—October 3-6, 2023
Harbison State Forest, (Columbia)—October 23-27, 2023
Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center, (Georgetown)—November 14-17, 2023

Pre-visit information packets

Post-visit Wood Magic educator’s guide

The SC Forestry Commission has developed a virtual field trip experience as an alternative to attending the in-person Wood Magic Forest Fair program. Students will be able to watch recordings of all the learning stations and complete student pages to reinforce the demonstrations at each station. Please complete the survey below to get access to these FREE virtual resources. Educators can receive a WMFF teacher goodie bag for completing the survey.

Survey for WMFF virtual program resources

What happens at Wood Magic

Promotional videos
- 3-minute promotional video (YouTube)
- 8-minute promotional video (YouTube)

Synopsis

I. Pre-work
Teachers are sent a pre-visit packet with lessons to prepare their students for Wood Magic. Students also take a short pre-test to assess their knowledge about sustainable forestry, ecology and conservation.

II. Arrival
Each class is met by a guide, who leads them to each station. Before the introduction, a class picture is taken, and students have an opportunity to go to the restroom.

III. Introduction
Two to three classes at a time assemble in the conference room of the education center. Students are introduced to the concept that they use forest products every day. They watch a video which is followed by a short period of questions and answers.

IV. Board Cuttin’
Students learn how lumber is made by watching an old-fashioned sawmill cut boards out of a log. Students see a planer and an edger, feel bark and sawdust, and discuss other products.

V. Bad Fire, Good Fire
Students see a “short” fire tower and a prescribed burned area. The instructor leads them in a discussion of wildfire and foresters’ use of prescribed fire (wildlife habitat, hazard reduction, competition reduction, regeneration). Students dress up in firefighting clothes.

VI. Gifts of the Forest
The instructor leads them in a discussion of the many benefits of forests (wildlife habitat, soil & water quality protection, air & noise filtering, recreation, social benefits, and economic benefits including jobs). Through playing a game, students see the interrelationships of forest plants and animals and man.

VII. Makin’ Paper
The instructor asks them questions about garbage, discusses landfill problems and how recycling paper can help. Each student recycles toilet tissue by breaking it up in water, screening it, and drying it.

VIII. Magic Show (Conclusion)
Through the use of sleight-of-hand, students are taught that you cannot always believe everything you see or hear. Through the use of student “volunteers” they come to an under- standing of how long it takes trees to grow and how many different forest products they use every day. The magic show concludes with “Blowing Bubbles,” a demonstration of how air can pass through red oak wood. The instructor dips the wood in a soapy solution and blows bubbles, demonstrating a fun use of wood.

IX. Departure: teacher packets and students gift bags
Teachers are given an Educator’s Guide to the Wood Magic Forest Fair which contains several PLT lessons, a lesson plan to go along with “Blowing Bubbles” and other information on trees and forestry. Also included in the packets are resource materials that can use to teach their students about the importance of the environment, the value of wood products and the need for striking a balance between growing and using trees. Students as well as teachers also receive Wood Magic T-shirts, activity books, rulers, pencils and other goodies provided by our many generous supporters and sponsors.

Annual report

2022 Wood Magic Annual Report – pdf

Education