Getting to Know the Trees

You see trees every day all around you. They are growing in your yard, on school grounds and in the parks. Some trees have been planted for beauty, some have been planted for utility, and some have just grown naturally. A leaf collection is often a staple of biology and ecology classes, where leaves are collected from trees and presented in a portfolio with information about the tree, such as location and species. In this project, we replace the traditional leaf collection with a digital collection, where you will share photographs of trees and leaves in your area. Your collection will be compiled with the entire class on a digital bulletin board

. tree

Goals:

Observe trees in your area and communicate data to others

Identify trees by using dichotomous keys and field guides

Be able to identify common trees in your area without the aid of a field guide, such as oak, elm, maple, and ash.

Become familiar with resources about trees and nature, browse sites related to tree identification.

Tasks

1. Learn to use a dichotomous key, field guides and other resources to identify local trees.

2. Explore your community and find trees in your neighborhood or school. Photograph those trees with a digital camera or phone.

3. Share your photos with information about the tree species, tree location and date with your class.Your instructor will provide you details on how to share your photos, there are many digital options such as: