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Identifying Plants in

Your Campus Biome

Remember

To

Record!

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What is this a photo of?

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Presenters

Stephanie Davis

5th Grade Teacher

Erik Lucas-

Chemistry and Environmental Science

Shannon Clark- Biology

Sinead Klement-

Amador COE

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What is this a photo of?

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Plant “Blindness”

  • Term coined by Wandersee and Schussler in 1999 1
  • People tend to overlook plants and focus on animals when thinking, discussing, teaching, and learning about living things
  • A 2022 survey of 345 Austrian secondary school students showed that students consider plants as ‘less alive’ than animals but ‘more alive’ than bacteria.2
  • Describes a cultural deficit in plant knowledge/awareness

1- https://www.jstor.org/stable/4450624

2-https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00219266.2022.2159491

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Place-Based Education

“Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.”

– David Sobel, author of Place-based Education: Connecting Classroom and Community

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Identifying Unknown Plants is Difficult

There are a lot of types of plants!

  • >20,000 plant species in North America 1
  • ~7,601 plant species in California 2

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Other factors:

  • They are difficult to “Google”�-Describing plants uses specific, technical vocabulary
  • Many share the same common name
  • A lot are only identifiable using a microscope or hand lens
  • The difference between some species is very slight

1 - https://floranorthamerica.org/Introduction

2- https://news.berkeley.edu/2012/01/30/california-native-plant-classic-jepson-manual-revision/

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Means of Identification

Physical Field Guides

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Digital Resources:

  • Most approachable:
    • Seek App - Sometimes inaccurate
    • iNaturalist - Accurate, takes time and relies on other site users
  • More technical: (bias towards native species)
    • CalFlora
    • Jepson eFlora

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Community Partners:

  • UC Master Gardener Program
  • Forest Service
  • Local Nurseries
  • Landscapers

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Elementary Example

(5th grade)

Sign Considerations:

Description with key identifiers

Adaptations

Native vs non-native

Deciduous vs Evergreen

Invasive

Step 1: Campus walk with tree identification

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Step 2: Assign specific tree species to small groups to

research and develop Google Slide presentations.

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Step 3: *Design an interpretive sign to display on campus.

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Step 4: Have other classes do a campus walk. Enjoy!

*link to interpretive sign option: https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/Search?stext=24811

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How did we identify, personally?

Jeffrey Pine Cone

(gentle Jeffrey vs. prickly Ponderosa)

Step 1: Observation and nature journaling. Look for evidence (cones, leaves, what’s on or around the tree, etc.) As we do our campus walk we utilize the Seek app and John Muir Laws Sierra Nevada guidebook

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Step 2: Started broad (pine) then looked for key identifiers.

example: Jeffrey vs. Ponderosa

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Step 3: Internet search

Jeffrey Pine

Ponderosa Pine

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California Environmental Principles & Concepts

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Principle II: The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with humans.

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Principle III: Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from and can alter.

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Principle IV: The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affect the long-term functioning of both.

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5th Grade NGSS Standards

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms: “Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water.”

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LS2A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: “...Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem.”

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LS2B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems: “Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants…”

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High School Applications

Biology

AP Environmental Science

Invasive Species, Environmental Services, Forest Evaluation, Biodiversity, Resource Use vs Availability, Climatology and Weather Patterns, and more

USFS

CAL IPC

USDA Forest Service

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Thank You!

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Questions?

Feedback form:

https://forms.gle/rdsggN2Xkj37UbJu7

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