Virtual Leaf Project
A good Botany student should have a fundamental knowledge of the trees grown
in your area. I am asking for a collection of leaves identified by using books, pictures,
and features from the tree. Winter has just not yet released its hold. Trees are just now
starting to bud. Now it would be difficult to get this project finished before the end of
the year.
The best way to complete this, is to convert this to a research project where you
know the tree already. Then give some of the identifying characteristics of those trees..
The project will be worth 200 points and be considered a test grade. I have not
determined the due date for the final project, as I think this will take longer than two
weeks to complete. There will be a project check for 100 points the day we return to
school. This grade will be graded as an assignment grade.
Links will be posted to materials and provide pictures that will be needed to
complete the project. Also,you will need many of the topics already discussed so past
notes you have taken may be useful. Now to the project.
You will be required to account for ​50​ different trees that grow in Eastern
Kentucky. The Linnean name for the species, as well as the common name is required.
These will need to be written correctly. A picture of a leaf from the tree and the tree
itself are also required. An example would be:
And not this:
This is not a picture, this is a computer generated image.
The following are required:
● Leaf Shape/Arrangement
● Leaf Margin
● Venation
Also, provide details about the habitat and characteristics of the tree. These may include
and are not limited to:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
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Type of soil
Water requirements
Light requirements
Fruit
Angiosperm/Gymnosperm
Seed or Fruit
Environmental purpose
Human uses
What platform you want to use is your decision. You can use a document,
powerpoint/slide, or any other format that you would like to use or are comfortable
with.
This assignment will be graded on 4 points. Completeness, correctness,
creativity, and presentation. Completeness means that you have “COLLECTED” THE
REQUIRED NUMBER and have CHARACTERIZED THE SPECIES. Correctness is that
the information you are providing about the species is accurate. Creativity is branching
out (not pun intended there) and providing different trees. You could very easily have
just 4 or 5 genuses. Presentation will be based on neatness of the project and the overall
looks. Same font and format throughout, it is appealing to the eye and correct use of
images, etc. A rubric is attached that will explain in detail how this will be graded and
how many points you will receive for each category. An example will be attached to use
as a guide. Lastly, do not forget to CITE SOURCES.
Rubric
25 Points
20 Points
15 Points
10 Points
Completeness
50 trees with
the leaves
clearly
identified and
all the
characteristics.
50 trees with
the leaves
clearly
identified and
most of the
characteristics.
Most of the
trees with the
leaves clearly
identified and
most of the
characteristics.
Most of the
trees with the
leaves clearly
identified and
some(less than
half) of the
characteristics.
Correctness
All aspects of
the leaf and
data about the
tree are
accurate.
Name is
spelled and
listed correctly
in the correct
writing format
with no errors..
All aspects of
the leaf are
accurate and
most of the
data on the
tree is
accurate.
Name is
spelled and
listed correctly
in the correct
writing format
with few
errors.
Most of the
aspects are
accurate and
most of the
data on the
tree is
accurate.
Name is
spelled and
listed correctly
in the correct
writing format
with minor
number of
errors.
Most of the
aspects are
accurate and
most of the
data on the
tree is
accurate.
Name is
spelled and
listed correctly
in the correct
writing format
with several
number of
errors.
Creativity
Student has
found many
different
varieties of
Genuses.
Student has
found several
different
varieties of
Genuses.
Student has
found a few
different
varieties of
Genuses.
Student has
found a
handful of
different
varieties of
Genuses.
Presentation
Report is
written with no
grammatical
errors. Proper
images are
used and the
same format
for each
species is used
throughout.
Report is
written
with a few
grammatical
errors. Proper
images are
used and the
same format
for each
species is used
throughout.
Report is
written
with a few
grammatical
errors. Proper
images are
used and the
same format is
mostly used
throughout.
Report is
written
with several
grammatical
errors.
Incorrect
images are
used and the
same format is
not used
throughout.
Acer saccharinum
Silver Maple
Leaf Shape: Palmate
Leaf Margin: Serrated
Leaf Venation: Netted
Acer saccharinum​ is a fast growing species that grows in most soils, specifically
moist and acidic. The leaf has a silvery underside that is noticable on windy days and
has deep sinuses. In the fall the leaves will turn bright yellow and red, and require only
four hours of unfiltered sunlight. (1)
A saccharinum p
​ rovides a nesting home to foul and food for squirrels in the
spring. The seeds that aren’t eaten by several different species will go on to form the
fruit of maple trees, the samara. It is a seed bearing plant which classifies it as an
angiosperm and the netted veins makes it a dicot.
The wood itself is fairly hard, and can be used for furniture and other uses.
Beavers found the bark delicious, and many early settlers used the sap for sugar but
found the process to get it too long. (1)
1.
​https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=869