Have you ever looked at a plant and didn’t know what it was? How would you figure out what it was? Suppose no one was there to tell you what it was? Students will find it rewarding and exciting to learn how to use a dichotomous key and identify unfamiliar desert plants on their own. Students will identify cacti, wildflowers, agaves, and trees.
- Observe and distinguish between various characteristics of plants
- Propose hypotheses for how the characteristics of desert plants enable them to survive
- Correctly identify an “unknown” plant using the key
- Keep a written record of their observations with sketches and answers to the discussion questions
- Understand how to use and the purpose of a dichotomous key
- Use a dichotomous key to identify a variety of agave, cactus, trees and wildflowers
- Able to recognize various leaf characteristics of plants
- Data Journal
- Laminated plant samples
