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  • Inquiry 4: How Well Are We Managing Our Forests Worldwide?
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Inquiry 4: How Well Are We Managing Our Forests Worldwide?

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • Less than 30 minutes
  • Wilderness
  • Biological Diversity
  • Forest Health
  • Forest Resources
  • Forest Vitality
  • Productive Functions of Forests
  • Protective Functions of Forests
  • Socioeconomic Functions of Forests
  • Sustainability
The first page of the article titled "Inquiry 4: How well are we managing our forests worldwide?".
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Forests provide many benefits to people and other animals. For forests to provide these benefits,
however, they must be managed so that they remain healthy and sustainable. Although there are many ways to identify what makes forests healthy and sustainable, FAO selected 6 criteria they believe are indicative of healthy forests. Learn more about these criteria and how well we are managing the World's Forests in this article.

Inquiry 4: How Well Are We Managing Our Forests Worldwide?

Part Of

The World's Forests - Vol. 11 No. 1

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Glossary

View All Glossary
  • biological diversity

    A measure of the differences between the types and numbers of living things in a natural area.

  • criteria

    (krī tir ē ə): (singular: criterion) A standard on which a judgment or decision may be based.

  • fodder

    Coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep, etc., like straw or hay.

  • indicator

    (in dǝ kā tǝr): Something that acts as a sign, symptom, or index of.

  • medicinal

    (mə dis nəl or mə di sə nəl): Tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain.

  • social service

    A process or service, usually sponsored by a government, that benefits humans.

  • socioeconomic

    Of, relating to, or involving a combination of social and economic factors.

  • sustainable

    (sǝ stā nǝ bǝl): Of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not used up or permanently damaged.

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  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
  • Lesson Plans
  • Education Files

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Civic Ideals and Practices
  • Global Connections
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

Natural Inquirer bee sitting at a desk with paper and pencil

  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

    Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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    Director, Natural Inquirer program

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Lessons

  • A set of 8 lesson plans to walk your students through the entirety of the World’s Forest edition. There is a lesson plan/guided reading activity for each section in the...

    Lesson Plan – World’s Forests 1

    • Lesson Plan
    • Middle School
    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
    • Wilderness
    • Graphic Organizer
    • Guided reading
    A set of 8 lesson plans to walk your students through the entirety of the World’s Forest edition. There is a lesson plan/guided reading activity for each section in the...
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Inquiry 1: What Kind of Forests Grow on Earth and How Do They Differ?

  • A guided reading lesson plan that breaks down each section in this article. There are activities for each part to have students practice the knowledge learned within the article. Materials:...

    Lesson Plan – Inquiry 4 The World’s Forests Edition

    • Lesson Plan
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Wilderness
    • Class Discussion
    • Guided reading
    A guided reading lesson plan that breaks down each section in this article. There are activities for each part to have students practice the knowledge learned within the article. Materials:...
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

Education Files

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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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