Leaf Collection Project
DUE OCTOBER 4, 2019
Introduction:
Forests have always been important to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania. The name Pennsylvania comes from the Latin description of (William) Penn’s Woods. The state contains 108 species of native trees, which means they evolved to live in this area. However, many other trees have been introduced to Pennsylvania from Europe and Asia.
Task:
Collect 20 samples of different tree species from area and determine their common and scientific names. These leaves are to be placed in a “collection.”
Products:
Leaf Collection– 200 pts
20 leaves of different of tree species (see rubric)
Common/ Scientific named, location
Leaf Identification
Resources:
By name
When scientists study living things, they name them so that others can understand the difference between species. There are two types of name. The first is a common name which is usually easy to say and is familiar to most people. The second is the scientific name. It is made up of Greek or Latin words. Usually tough to pronounce, scientific names are unique to each living creature on Earth.
By leaf position, shape, or vein
Leaves have specific shapes and placement on branches for each of the different species of tree. Below are descriptions to help classify each of the leaves.
Position on Stem
Opposite; leaves are directly across from each other on the stem
Alternate; leaves are spaced in alternating fashion along the stem – never across from each other
Shape of the Leaf’s Edge
Entire; rounded and nearly smooth
Serrate; edges like a steak knife edge
Serrulate; many edges that appear to be sharp
Doubly Serrate; sharp edges and looks like a steak knife edge
Dentate; deep ridges and valleys, but not sharp looking
Crenate; rounder ridges and valleys
Incised; deep cuts on edge
Undulate; rounded cuts on edge
Round Lobed; rounded edge
Sharp Lobed; deep cuts that appear sharp
Collecting Leaves
You are to select 20 native species trees. Some good examples of native trees include Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, and Sassafras. PINE TREES AND HERBACEOUS PLANTS ARE NOT TO BE COLLECTED. Remember to collect from trees that you have access to from a sidewalk or on public property. DO NOT COLLECT LEAVES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. A good place to get a lot of different leaves would be in the park or along a trail.
1. Complete leaf (no leaflets of compound leaves).
2. Place in a large book and press between newspaper layers for one week.
3. Do not use torn or damaged leaves. Damaged leaves will not receive credit.
Identifying and Mounting Leaves
1. Bring leaves to school. Placing them in between sheets of paper and placing them inside a textbook will prevent tearing and wrinkling.
2. Obtain at set of leaf guide booklets in the lab to research the leaves (available one set per student).
3. Clearly label the leaves (with no mistakes). Labels should include Common Name, Scientific Name, and Location (see rubric).
4. Leaves are to be placed into the press for preservation.
SCORING
Each leaf in the collection will be graded using the following criteria. Each leaf could be worth at most 10 pts.
Leaf Card Typed:
Name
Correct – 4pts
Incorrect – 0 pts
Scientific Name
Correct, Italics, and first word capitalized – 4 pts
Correct, Italics, and incorrect capitalization – 3 pts
Correct, No italics, and incorrect capitalization – 2 pts
Incorrect – 0 pts
Location
Identified – 1 pt
Unidentified – 0 pts
Date
Identified – 1 pt
Unidentified - 0 pts
How to apply these points to a test in October... Use the scale below to reveal the extra credit to be applied to a test in October.