Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Evergreen Trees Facts: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Evergreen Trees Facts is a free printable science worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children look at the name of each tree and decide whether it is evergreen or deciduous. They write their choice on the line. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet has numbered questions, each with a line to write on. Children meet the names of familiar British trees and sort each one into one of two groups: evergreen or deciduous. They have to remember what each word means and think about how trees look through the seasons. Writing the word on the line makes them commit to a choice they can explain.
- Pine tree
- Oak tree
- Holly
- Silver birch
- Fir tree
- Horse chestnut
How the sheet builds understanding
Two words, two groups
Children only have two choices each time. That keeps the task clear and lets them focus on what the words mean.
Thinking about seasons
To decide, children picture a tree in summer and again in winter. This links the sheet to seasonal change.
Writing the word
Writing evergreen or deciduous on the line gives practice with long, tricky science words and helps them stick.
Explaining the choice
The talk prompts ask children to give a reason. A reason shows real understanding, not a lucky guess.
Why learn about evergreen and deciduous trees?
Trees change through the year, and children can see this on any walk. Some trees have bare branches in winter. Others still carry leaves. Sorting trees into evergreen and deciduous gives children a first scientific way to group living things by something they can observe. In Key Stage 1 science, children are asked to identify and describe plants and to notice seasonal change, and this sheet touches both.
The two words are new for most Year 2 children, so it helps to link them to what they already know. Ever means always, and green is a colour they can see. Deciduous is harder, so link it to autumn leaves falling. Once the words have a picture attached, children can use them in conversation as well as on paper.
When you look at trees outdoors, look and do not taste. Berries, seeds and nuts from trees can make children ill. Wash hands after collecting leaves, and stay with an adult near roads and water.
Tree facts to share
- Evergreen trees do lose old leaves, but only a few at a time, so they are never completely bare.
- Deciduous trees lose their leaves, usually in autumn, and grow new ones later.
- Leaves of many trees change colour before they fall.
- Some leaves are broad and flat. Others are thin and shaped like needles.
- Trees are living things. A tree without leaves in winter is resting, not gone.
Skills and curriculum link
- Sorting and grouping
- Plants and trees
- Seasonal change
- Scientific vocabulary
- Reading carefully
- Giving reasons
What children will be able to do
- I can say what evergreen means.
- I can say what deciduous means.
- I can tell the two kinds of tree apart.
Ideas to help you talk about trees
- Think about winterAsk your child to picture a street or park in winter. Which trees do they remember looking bare, and which looked green?
- Say the meaning firstBefore writing each answer, ask your child to say what evergreen means and what deciduous means in their own words.
- Look at real leavesIf you can, look at leaves outdoors or in a book. Notice their shape, colour and feel, and talk about what they see.
- Use the seasonsTalk about what happens to trees in spring, summer, autumn and winter. This gives the two words a story to sit in.
Key words
- EvergreenA tree that keeps its leaves all year round, so it is never bare.
- DeciduousA tree that loses its leaves, usually in autumn, and grows new ones later.
- LeafThe flat or needle shaped part of a tree that grows from a twig.
- SeasonOne of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
- AutumnThe season when many trees lose their leaves.
- SortPut things into groups because they are alike in some way.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the instructions together. Check that your child can say what evergreen and deciduous mean before they start.
- Read each tree name aloud. Ask your child to picture the tree in winter, then write evergreen or deciduous on the line.
- Check together using page 2. Ask, "How did you decide?" Listen for the reasons as well as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the check it worked questions. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Go for a walk or look at photos together. Talk about which trees look green in winter and which look bare. Practise saying the two words aloud, then try the sheet again. Do a few lines at a time if that feels easier.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to find another tree near home and say whether it is evergreen or deciduous. They should give a reason, such as what the tree looks like in winter. They could draw it and label it with the right word.
Make it a game
Play leaf match. Collect fallen leaves in autumn and sort them into piles. Then name a tree near you and ask children to point to the pile where its leaves belong. An adult checks each answer with a book or photo.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child thinks deciduous and evergreen mean the same thing.
Try thisSay each meaning aloud and link them to winter. Ask what the tree looks like then, and write the two words side by side with a quick drawing.
Watch forA child thinks a tree with green leaves in summer must be evergreen.
Try thisRemind them that many trees are green in summer. Ask what happens to that tree in autumn and winter before they choose.
Watch forA child thinks a tree with no leaves in winter has died.
Try thisExplain that it is resting and will grow new leaves in spring. Look at the same tree again later in the year to see this.
Talk about it
- What does evergreen mean? Can you say it in your own words?
- What does deciduous mean? Which season does it make you think of?
- How does a tree near our home look in winter?
- Why do you think some trees look different in different seasons?
- Which tree on the sheet do you know best? Where have you seen one?
- What would you look for to help you decide when you are not sure?
Take it off the page
Tree spotting walk
Go outside and look at trees near home or school. Talk about their leaves and branches. Sort the trees you see into two groups.
Leaf rubbings
Place leaves under paper and rub with a crayon. Compare the shapes and sort the rubbings into two piles. Label each pile.
Four seasons tree
Draw one tree four times, once for each season. Show how it looks in each. Say whether it keeps or loses its leaves.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first line, then let them lead. Short bursts work well. If they get stuck, take them to a window or outside and look at a real tree together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply resource, homework or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a nature walk, a tree book or photos taken through the year. The sheet can be printed again for brothers and sisters, or reused a few weeks later to check what has stuck.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children notice the world around them. They look at plants, talk about the seasons and collect leaves. Autumn Leaf Collection is a good step before this one.
After this sheet, children can sort and compare other things by their properties, as in Rock Property Compare Cards. Later science work looks at plants in more detail, including how they grow and what they need.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How can you tell an evergreen tree in winter?
- What happens to the leaves of a deciduous tree?
- Can you name one tree of each kind?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Evergreen Trees Facts for?
It is written for Year 2, ages 6 to 7, in Key Stage 1. It can also help younger children who are ready for a simple sorting task, or older children who need to revisit the words.
- What will children practise?
They practise telling the difference between evergreen trees, which keep their leaves, and deciduous trees, which lose them. They also sort, think about the seasons and use two new science words.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Read the instructions together, then children write evergreen or deciduous on each line. Check with page 2 and talk about each choice.
- What if it feels too hard?
Go for a walk or look at photos. Talk about which trees look green in winter and which look bare. Practise saying the two words, then try a few lines at a time.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision later.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Colour is not needed to complete the sheet.
More like this
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.