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Unity Tree

The Unity Tree is a powerful symbol reminding everyone that bullying can be prevented when we all come together – united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Creating a Unity Tree is an interactive and hands-on activity, a shared experience in which anyone can participate and everyone can watch the tree grow. Each person contributes their own unique experiences, creative ideas, and strategies by writing positive messages on leaves that are attached to the tree. As the number of leaves increases, it creates a visual reminder, demonstrating that when we are united we can create social change.

Option One: Unity Tree on a Bulletin Board

  1. On the classroom wall or bulletin board, create the trunk of a tree, along with branches, with construction paper or materials of your own choosing.
  2. Next, cut out leaf shaped pieces of orange paper; make them large enough for students to write a message.

    Below are three options for types of messages, or create your own:

    • If you planted a seed, what would you tell your seed about bullying?
    • What can you do change/impact your school’s culture about bullying?
    • How can you support a friend/peer who is being bullied?
  3. Have each student write down their response on a leaf.
  4. Attach each of the leaves to the tree.

Option Two: Unity Tree in a Vase

  1. Fill the base of a flower vase with the cotton balls, tissue paper, or other materials. Take tree branches, sticks, skinny craft sticks, or another ‘branch-like’ item and place inside the vase, so the material holds it vertically upward.
  2. Cut orange paper into strips of 1 ½” to 2” wide and 11” long.
  3. Ask participants to write a message on the orange strips of construction paper, which will represent the “leaves” of the tree.

    Below are three options for types of messages, or create your own:

    • If you planted a seed, what would you tell your seed about bullying?
    • What can you do change/impact your school’s culture about bullying?
    • How can you support a friend/peer who is being bullied?
  4. Tape each response to the end of the slip around a tree branch, so the message is easy to read.

Supplemental Poster

A poster can also be displayed next to the tree that lists the questions that were used in students creating the messages for the leaves.


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