Have you ever looked at a plant and didn’t know what it was? How would you figure out 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 desert plants
- Introduction to plant morphology
- Data Journal
- Laminated plant samples
- Dichotomus Key
