The Forest and the Trees

Forest ranger Arnold Wilson wants to plant three kinds of trees on a mountain: Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir, and White Fir. He has decided that he wants these ratios for the trees:

Ponderosa Pine: Douglas Fir = 2:1
White Pine: Ponderosa Pine = 3:2

Subject: Problem Solving; Mathematics
Topics:
- Solve Multi-Step Problems
- Use Proportional Reasoning
- Ratios
Grades: 4 - 7
Concepts:
- Ratio
Knowledge and Skills:
- Can solve complex, multi-step problems
- Understands and can use three methods of expressing a ratio ("2 to 3", "2:3", "2/3")
- Can use proportional reasoning to solve problems

Download Activity: The Forest and the Trees (PDF)

Problem Solving Movie:

The ForesterThe Forester

For Tami Sobol, the forest is her office. As a Forester for Plum Creek Timber Company, she is responsible for the health of hundreds of thousands of acres of trees. Using math and science is a routine part of her work.
Running time 5:10 minutes.

Watch the Movie