Leaf Collection Project Due Date _____________
Alabama Course of study:
Classify native Alabama plants using dichotomous keys
Materials Needed
· various tree identification field guides
· dichotomous key for common trees in Alabama
· three-ring binder or other similar storage medium
· handouts
· Index Cards
· Reference Book
· Notebook or Photo album
Goals for the Lesson
Students will become more observant of the world around them.
Students will be able to recognize and identify trees commonly found in their neighborhoods and in the state of Alabama.
Students will become familiar and confident in their abilities to use identification techniques and resources.
Mounting
To flatten:
Place leaf between sheets of paper and place heavy books on top of them so that they will be pressed flat.
Mount:
Place them between sheets of wax paper and lightly press them with a warm iron. (remember to place between brown paper to protect your iron).
Note:
Only one of a kind is to be mounted on a sheet of plain white paper.
Do not have more than one leaf of one kind per sheet of paper.
Be sure to attach leaf with the vein side up.
Collect only whole leaves.
Start immediately to find good specimens.
Try to collect leaves that have fallen.
Project Assembly
1. Front cover - should contain the following:
- LEAF COLLECTION (centered on the page)
- Drawing or pictures of a leaf or leaves somewhere on your cover
- Full Name
- Class Period
- Month, Day Year
2. Table of Contents - list each leaf by its scientific name (first) and common name (second). Title this page Table of Contents. Place it behind the front cover.
3. Fifty (50) individual leaves - each on a separate page behind the Table of Contents.
Collection Format:
Arrange the leaf specimens Alphabetically by Genus.
Include a table of contents at the beginning of each of the notebook or photo album that you submit. The table of contents should include for each specimen: The full scientific name, the common name, and page number.
Each identification card (index card) should include in this order the common name, the scientific name of the tree, the leaf type, the type of venation, height, and diameter. The identification card should be placed at the bottom of each page.
The leaf collection must contain the following types of leaves
8 different Oak leaves 1 Elm leaf
1 Ginkgo leaf 2 Dogwood leaf
3 different Pine leaves 2 Holly leaf
3 different Magnolia leaves 2 Cedar leaves
2 different fruit tree leaves 1 Sweet gum leaf
3 Maple leaf 1 Cottonwood leaf
1 Cypress leaf 2 Birch leaves
1 Sycamore leaf 2 Ash leaf
1 Hickory 1 Willow leaf
1 Pecan or Walnut leaf 1 Honey locust leaf
1 Crape Myrtle leaf 1 Mulberry
1 Juniper 1 Spruce
1 Sassafras 1 Yucca
1 Talloweetree leaf 1 Chinaberry leaf
1 Crabapple 2 leaves of your choice
Grading:
This leaf collection project will count 275 points.
Table of contents 25 points
Neatness 50 points
Each leaf in good condition/and identified correctly 4 points
Most common reasons for point deductions:
- Misspelled words in the table of contents and/or on the specimen labels
- Missing authorities, sample numbers, or other label information
- Incomplete samples (less than 2 leaves, less than 2 fruit, lacking an end bud, etc.)
- Incompletely dried samples (leaf is molding, fruit is rotting, etc.)
- Incorrectly identified samples
- Failure to turn in the collection notebook
- Failure to include a table of contents with the correct information
- Failure to arrange the samples in the specified order
- Submitting fleshy fruits as separate specimens
- Lack of neatness
Helpful Plant Identification Internet Sources
http://www.forestry.auburn.edu/samuelson/dendrology/
http://www.usna.usda.gov/
http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeid.cfm
http://www.conifers.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/pic/PIC_treekey.htm
http:/ http://wp.nres.uiuc.edu/
/www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/idit.htm
3