The Great Tree Story Contest is designed for the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) third grade students studying living systems. The focus of the contest is to identify and celebrate trees that are significant to an individual or community while integrating science, social studies, and language arts third grade curriculum.
This project was developed in cooperation with the science, social studies, reading and language arts departments of FWISD. The goal is to involve children in the discovery and inquiry of “great” trees on their school campus and around Fort Worth.
Third grade teachers and students from Fort Worth ISD have participated in the essay contest for three years. Each participating school submits essays to the Great Tree Ring and prizes are awarded to the winning schools. See a list of the winning essays below or read more about how to improve children's writing skills using trees as a central theme.
The 2010 Great Tree Essay Contest exceeded last year’s participation with submissions from talented third graders across 15 elementary schools within Fort Worth ISD.
Read the 2010 winning essays:
Grand Prize Essay: The Book Nook by A'nya Ivory
Grand Prize Essay: Good Day Tree by Emma Lea Wall
First Prize Essay: My Front Yard Tree by David Ndungu
Honorable Mention: My Special Thinking Tree by Maya Alarcon
Honorable Mention: The Fun Tree by Shauna Galvin
Honorable Mention: The Slide Fright by Yaisa Khek
Honorable Mention: Our Little Family Tree by Channing Neorr
Past Contest Winners
In collaboration with other Great Tree Ring members, BRIT honored the top prize winning authors of the 2010 Great Tree Story Essay Contest on Friday, April 9, 2010. The grand prize and first prize winning authors from Alice Carlson Applied Learning Academy, along with their classmates and teachers (Ms. Kristene Gillmer and Ms. Pamela Hulsey), enjoyed an exclusive tour of the “Butterflies in the Garden” at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden's conservatory.
With butterflies flying in the background, the budding authors read their prize-winning stories to remote student audiences through on-site videoconferencing. The audience included approximately 4,000 students from 74 schools across Texas, Montana, Pennsylvania, and New York.
The broadcast also featured BRIT Collections Manager, Tiana Franklin, reading “Isabel’s House of Butterflies" -- a delightful book written by Tony Johnston. The story features a little girl named Isabel who saves a Monarch roosting tree from becoming firewood. The book, like the mission of the contest, helps children understand and appreciate the critical connection between plants and animals.
The program ended with Gail Manning, entomoloist and Director of Education for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, talking with the students about one of our native butterflies, the marvelous Monarch, its life cycle and miraculous migration!
Read the 2009 winning essays:
Grand Prize essay: The Hugging Tree by Jacob R. Coffey
First Prize essays: My Special Plum Tree by Roman Julian Mejia
First Prize essays: My Family Tree by Daniel Barnes
Honorable Mentions: Family Tree by Genaro Melendez
Honorable Mentions: The Best Apple Tree by Cedrina J. Landrum
Honorable Mentions: The Lakehouse Tree by Alexandra C. Bruhn
Honorable Mentions: Gran and Grandads Tree by Luke Lashley Taylor
On May 15, 2009, the 2009 grand prize author, Jacob Coffey (of Alice Carlson Applied Learning Academy), and first prize authors, Roman Julian Mejia and Daniel Barnes (both from Daggett Montessori School) and their classmates spent a day at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
The day began with the winning authors sharing their stories with students across Texas via videoconference. Guest of honor, Deborah Ferguson of Channel 5 News then read Alan Zweibel’s Our Tree Named Steve, and presenting the winners with tree saplings.
After a picnic lunch, the center’s biologists gave the students a tree tour of the 3600 + acre center.
Read the 2008 winning essays:
Grand Prize essay: My Front Yard Tree by Randy Ortiz
First Prize essay: Grandparents Tree by Gabbye Guess
Honorable Mentions: A Tree with a Story by Julio Argueto
Honorable Mentions: The Lonely Tree by Turner Black
Honorable Mentions: The Beautiful Tree by Megan North
Honorable Mentions: The Growth of John Peter Smith by Daniele Kelley
Read more about the 2008 Ring Bearers
The 2009 Great Tree Story Essay Contest is made possible by members of the Great Tree Ring, the Forth Worth ISD, and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, organizations who love trees and children!
