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1 Spice Summer academy - Prague, Czech Republic Friday 26 to Sunday 28 August 2011

Comparing leaves

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Page 1: Comparing leaves

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Spice Summer academy -

Prague, Czech Republic – Friday 26 to Sunday 28 August 2011

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Objective

Students will learn that a tree can often be identified just by looking at its leaves

but this task will be easier if you also look at its bark , fruit, flower, bud..

Content involved

basic study of the leaves

basic study of the barks

basic study of the photosynthesis

use of the identification tree leaf key

Skills

Observing, gathering information, critical thinking, drawing classification,

communication…

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Which teaching material needs to be used?

Documents about trees and leaves, pencils, markers, paper, drawingpaper, glue… camera.

Which key facts do students need to know before the start of the GP?

Nothing special

What are the aims ?

Students will be able to recognize a tree thanks to its leaf , bark, flower, fruit, bud…

They will learn that each type of tree has distinctive bark and unique leaves and fruit and these characteristics can be used to determine the species of the tree.

They also will learn to work in group.

How much time is involved in preparing and teaching this GP?

4 lessons (4 x 50 min)

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How to implement this GP resource?

1/ Take the classroom outside in the neighborhood ( the teacher has selected some deciduous trees)

- each student collects and observes one leaf from a deciduous tree

- they make rubbings of bark patterns and color them

2/ In the class

a/ - The students discuss and compare the different bark patterns to find classmates with the same one

- The students with matching bark pattern should be grouped together

- The different groups try to match bark to tree by the aid of documents and a tree identification guide.

b/- They compare leaves to find classmates with the same leaf

- The students with matching leaves should be grouped together

- They discuss and try to identify to which tree their leaf belongs with the aid of the identification key

c/ - They put all the different type of leaves on a table and they try to classify them

(simple, compound, lobed, with teeth, opposite, alternate)

d/ - They do a synthesis with the help of the teacher. The teacher has prepared a « student’s guide » with

all the important information the students must remember:

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3/ Outside :

-The students are divided into four/five groups . Each group chooses a leaf.

- They go outside with their leaves, documents, paper, pencils, camera …

- They look for the tree corresponding to their leaf.

- They draw , observe and collect all the material corresponding to their tree.

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4/ In the class :

Each group has to discuss to plan a poster (or a reproduction ) of their tree with the material collected and presents the tree to their schoolmates

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We began to implement our GP at the end of April

Age of the students: 12/13 years old

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The students are

broken intofour/five groups

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Each group represents a different tree

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Tree type/shapeThey make a detailed free hand drawing of the tree and a picture

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They make rubbings of bark patterns.They write the color, the structure, the smell of the bark

The Bark

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The leaves- flowers-fruit

They take a branch with several leaves on it , with flowers and/or fruit

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What about the evaluation of the students’ achievement and of this GP?

The students- they feel a real sense of « achievement »- they look at nature and especially at trees in a new light- they set more value on trees and on nature- they are able to recognize some trees- they study having fun

I find this GP very interesting. It seems childish but it is not! You can go deeper and mention other topics.

For example you can:

1. repeat that exercise in the different seasons and observe the transformations

2. study conifers

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3. mention that even when a tree is dead, it is full of life thanks to the activity of bacteriaand animals ( insects , birds, squirrels…). Dead trees have features that live trees don’thave .

When the tree decays completely it returns nutrients to the soil.

When limbs or trees fall into the water (lake, stream) they make home for fish .

When limbs fall on the ground , animals make homes in them.

4. teach something about « photosynthesis ».Students will learn how trees produce theirown food and how every part of the tree contributes to the process of making and distributing food.

5. teach that although we use trees for many things in our daily lives, if we plan

carefully, we’ll never run out of trees

6. approach the Greenhouse Effect and the causes of Global Warming.

All plants absorb carbon dioxide, but trees are best. They are considered nature’s most efficient “carbon sinks.”

….. And many other topics….

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What about the evaluation?

1/ The teacher evaluates the realization of the poster and the oral presentation of eachgroup.

The answers to their schoolmates’ questions are also evaluated

2/ The students must be able to associate a tree to its leaf

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1- The petiole ( + stipule , bud )

The petiole of a leaf can be:

long

short

rounded

flat

Some leaves have no petiole

The stipule : small leaf-like structure at the base of the petiole

The bud : a baby potential branch betweenthe petiole and the stem

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Opposite leaves Alternate leaves

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If two leaves arise at a node, the leaves are said:

If only one leaf arises at a node, the leaves are said:

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Simple leaf without teeth Simple leaf with teeth Simple lobed leaf

Palmate compound leaf Pennate compound leaf

Simple leaves : one unit

Compound leaves: numerous small parts

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TREE TYPE -- Tree or a shrub? Deciduous or Conifer?? .

LEAF - Are the leaves simple ? Without teeth? With teeth? Lobed?- Are the leaves compound? Palmate? Pennate? - Are the leaves arranged in an opposite pattern or alternate pattern?

BARK --What color is the bark? Is it rough or smooth? Is it thick or thin? Does it have a smell? ….

BUD -- look at the shape, the color……

FRUIT – the observation of fruit shapes makes them useful especially when leaves look alike.

After collecting all of your clues, you should use the leaf key to verify the tree species .

tree type/shape leaf bark bud fruit

Basics of tree identification

Here are some clues that you will need to examine, to be able to identify a tree:

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Identification key

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Photosynthesis changes the energy from the sun into chemical energy, splits water to liberate O2, and fixes CO2 into sugar

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Sonja Artac - Slovakia

Bento Baptista – Portugal

Carlos Cachado – Portugal

Herman Morgenbesser – Austria

Irena Skolilova – Czech Republic

This GP has also been implemented in their class by:

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OPEN DISCUSSION -1/ Teachers who implemented this GP• Was it problematic to implement a GP that someone else has created? • What has been modified to implement it in class?

- curriculum adaptations- students working habits ( more discussions, group work versus individual

• Did the test group know that they were part of a project?• What are the benefits and problems encounterd by the teachers and the students• Are you considering using this GP again in the future ? Why ?

-2/ Other teachersHow could this GP be implemented in your country:

- How would you have done it ?- What problems would you find?- What does not fit in your country?- What does fit in your country?…….

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Tina [email protected]

0032 494 69 30 10

Institut Don BoscoAvenue du Val d’Or, 90 d1150 Bruxelles Belgium

www.idbbxl.com