Read First - Assignments for this week- overview

This week, there is an outside element to the laboratory.

Before going outside, it is important that you recognize poison ivy, so take the quiz on recognizing this plant to avoid a rash. (2 points)

You will then be ready for the main part of the lab: finding and photographing different leaf shapes and characteristics to fill out a table of leaf traits for a journal called 'Leaf / vegetative trait photos & table' (5 points). Follow instructions in the link below in 'Directions for leaf/vegetative traits photos & table' carefully to maximize your points.

identify poison ivy & understand prevention of rash

The largest assignment this week is to collect photographs of a specified number of leaves with different traits, but you must first pass this test with 100% score before you can work on the field collections for this week's assignment. You can re-take the quiz as many times as you would like.

Before you start this test, read this linked website (and look at the photos) of poison ivy.

Also look at these images.

Be aware that you should avoid touching poison ivy in the field because most people are allergic to the oils that occur on its leaves, stems and roots. Effects can range from itchy skin to more serious complications. To further protect yourself from exposure, when you return from natural areas, it is a good idea to wash exposed skin with warm soapy water, and to wash clothes. I tend to carry to the field moist cleaning towelettes or a ziploc bag with paper towels soaked with rubbing alcohol as an additional precaution.

You may retake this test until you score 100%

Poison Ivy Quiz

Students are next directed to a quiz on Blackboard (LMS) on which they need to indicate whether various photos are or are not poison ivy. They are not able to see remaining instructions for the week's assignments until they pass the quiz with 100% correct answers.

Leaf traits directions

The assignment for taking photographs and documenting traits is linked here.

Note to instructors

Students submit photos as a journal on Blackboard LMS, but it could be submitted as a Word/Google doc instead to reduce student technical challenges with journals. Students should be required to have their stickers in photos; otherwise, they could easily Google, e.g. pinnately compound, and find an image online that is already associated with this term.