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The Man Who Planted Trees assembly

Empower your pupils with this uplifting story about one person’s mission to make a lasting difference.

The story is illustrated by striking visuals called woodcuts.

Credit: Michael McCurdy

Imagine planting an entire forest with your own hands! That’s exactly what the humble hero does in this thought-provoking tale.

The Man Who Planted Trees is written by Jean Giono. It tells the story of a shepherd who plants thousands of acorns near his home. His actions breathe new life into the landscape and bring the community back together.

You can use this assembly to support your school’s tree-planting activities. It’s also a great way to show pupils how their actions can have a real impact.

By delivering this assembly you can earn two points on the Green Tree Schools Award.

Assembly length

20 minute presentation
10 minutes for questions

Tell the story

We've created a PowerPoint presentation so it's easy to share the story with your whole school. In the teacher notes you’ll find a script you can personalise, along with questions to encourage discussions.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

Anon
Woodcut print of some acorns

Credit: Michael McCurdy

Striking woodcuts

The story is illustrated with woodcuts engraved by artist Michael McCurdy. A woodcut is a type of print. It's made by carving pictures or patterns onto a piece of wood, covering it in ink and pressing it onto paper or cloth.

Get two points on the Green Tree Schools Award

To claim your points, tell us about your school’s assembly. Let us know when you delivered it, how your pupils responded to the story, and if you linked it to tree-planting. You can send in photos and videos too.

Email learning@woodlandtrust.org.uk with the subject line 'Assembly'.

We’ll add two points to your account after we receive your evidence (usually within two weeks).

How we use your photos

We like to use images and quotes from schools to inspire other teachers and pupils about outdoor learning. They could appear on our award materials, website, press releases and social media.

If you'd prefer us not to use your photos and comments in this way, please make this clear when you send them to us. If you're happy for us to use them, please make sure you have permission from parents and photographers before you submit them.

You can find out more about we use and look after your personal information in our privacy policy.

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