saturday-science-workshop.com - Plant Classification

Introduction: Your church is planning a working mission trip to an island people, who have had little contact with the world outside their island. The island is experiencing drastic climatic changes, changing from a tropical climate to an island with a climate similar to Nebraska. They have discovered that if they don't begin growing different plants within the next few months, their entire food web will disintegrate and all life on their island will cease to exist. The Islanders are depending on your team to give them the knowledge that they need to grow the plants needed in this new climate.

Process: Each team will research the above tasks. Your answers must be completed in the above order in your journal. Journals are to be kept on notebook paper, be neatly hand written by you. Drawings should be done in pencil. Your team will only be required to complete one journal so you must work together on this. You must have complete sentences and your diagrams should be neat and clearly labeled. Your team will be responsible for spelling, especially when your team directly copies from your resources. Look at the evaluation for a clear picture as to how you can earn an A!

Start by completing The Great Plant Escape! Complete the written activities on a sheet of notebook paper rather than printing out the pages as directed. Activities that are hands on - read through them, but do not complete. You may print the crossword, complete and turn it in. When finished see me, before printing the certificate. Go on to Step 2 when you are done.

Go to Trees of the Pacific Northwest. To learn more about some common conifers in the Pacific Northwest use the dichotomous key to identify a tree specimen. Go to the dichotomous key and at each step make a selection - see what tree you have chosen. Do this for about 5-8 trees, making different choices each time. Discover the identity of a mystery tree! To identify the mystery trees - get a mystery tree page from the folder in the front of the classroom. Using the information on the sheet and the dichotomous key identify the tree. Write down your answers on a sheet of paper and turn it in to me to me when you have identified all 8 trees.

For each of the following documents, open them one at a time and copy what's there into your journal. Divide the drawing tasks among the members of your group. These pages will become part of your final journal. (Draw the leaves the best you can.):

Divide the Labor.
- Each person should be responsible for an equal number of questions from the task. Being responsible means that you will be in charge of the mouse and keyboard while researching. The other member(s) of the group should be writing the information "in your own words".
- While one person is researching, the other partner(s) should support the researcher by helping to paraphrase the information and writing it in the journal. In other words, you are never to work alone while your partner(s) does nothing.
- Be sure to start each section on a new page and title the page.  The pages you write will become part of your journal.
- Use the resources listed below. If you can't find the answer to a question, do a Goggle search to answer your question.

When you have researched all information and have all pages of your journal:
    - place the pages in the order of the tasks
    - number the pages (front and back) begin with page 5 (Page 1 = title page, Page 3 = Table of Contents)
    - create a table of contents for your journal
    - create a Title page/Cover for your journal
    - assemble your journal and staple with 2 staples along the side, so it opens like a book.

Step 5: When you are done with your journal evaluate yourselves and your work.

Rubric: Use the following rubrics to score your final product. Here is a research rubric.

Questions	9-10 Points	7-8 Points	5-6 Points	3-4 Points	1-2 Points
1	10 or more uses / sent. Are neat &complete	7-9 factors, sent. Are neat & complete	4-6 factors, sent. Are neat or complete	2-3 factors, sent. Are neat or complete	1 factor, sent. Are neat or complete
2	Includes the 3 or 4 correct branchings that Botanists use to classify plants. Are neat & complete	The 3 or 4 correct branchings that Botanists use to classify plants are either missing one or one is wrong. Are neat & complete	Only 2 correct branchings that Botanists use to classify plants.Are neat or complete	Only 1 correct branching that Botanists use to classify plants are identified. Are neat or complete	Did not correctly identify how Botanists classify plants.
3-1	All Leaf shapes (6), margins (6), groupings (5) and veination (3) are neat and complete	Missing 1-3 of the following Leaf shapes (6), margins (6), groupings (5) and veination (3) and are neat	Missing 4-8 of the following Leaf shapes (6), margins (6), groupings (5) and veination (3) OR are not neat	Missing 9-10 of the following Leaf shapes (6), margins (6), groupings (5) and veination (3) and are not neat	Missing more than 10 of the following Leaf shapes (6), margins (6), groupings (5) and veination (3) and are not neat
3-2	All 10 parts of the flower are labeled, diagrammed. Sentences explaining function. Neat and complete	9-10 parts of the flower are labeled OR diagrammed. Sentences explaining function. Neat.	7-8 parts of the flower are labeled OR diagrammed. Explanation of function not in complete sentences	5-6 parts of the flower are labeled OR diagrammed. Explanation of function incomplete	Less than 5 parts of the flower labeled or diagrammed. No explanation of function
3-3	All 5 Parts of the plant are labeled, diagrammed. Sentences explaining function Neat and complete	4 parts of the plant are labeled and diagrammed. Sentences explaining function Neat	3 parts of the plant labeled OR diagrammed. Explanation of function not in complete sentences	2 parts of the plant labeled OR diagrammed. Explanation of function incomplete	Only 1 part of the plant labeled OR diagrammed. No explanation of function
4	Complete process is explained. Includes definitions of 3 life cycles Sentences are neat & complete	Complete process is explained. Includes definitons of 2 life cycles Sentences are neat OR complete	Complete process is explained. Includes only 1 life cycle. Sentences are neat OR complete	Part of the process is explained. No definitions included. Sentences are neat OR complete	Part of the process is explained, but not in sentence form.
5	Explained the process of photosynthesis, Transpiration, sent. Are neat & complete	Explained the process of photosynthesis, Transpiration, sent. Are neat or complete	Explained the process of photosynthesis or transpiration, sent. Are neat and complete	Explained the process of photosynthesis or transpiration, sent. Are neat and complete	Attempted to describe photosynthesis, transpiration - sent. Incomplete, not neat
6	Designed a garden - used 6 plants/used learned techniques (more than 6 plants will be worth extra credit - not much).	Designed a garden using 5-6 plants/ used learned techniques	Designed a garden using 3-4 plants / used some learned techniques	Designed a garden using 2 plants / used limited learned techniques	Designed a garden using 1 plant, used limited learned techniques

74-80 = Excellent, 69-73 = Good job, 60-68 = You might need more research to make your brochure better, 59 or less = You need to redo your research and redo your brochure completely.

SELF EVALUATION: Answer the following questions:
    •How did you use your class time? Briefly describe your daily activities.
    •How did you work with your team?
        •Did you share information and responsibilities?
        •Describe how you broke up the responsibilities.
    •If you were to do this same project again, what would you do differently? What would make this a more meaningful activity for you?

CATEGORY	Excellent 4	Good 3	Needs Improve 2	Poor 1
Contributions	Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader who contributes a lot of effort.	Usually provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries hard!	Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A satisfactory group member who does what is required.	Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. May refuse to participate.
Quality of Work	Provides work of the highest quality.	Provides high quality work.	Provides work that occasionally needs to be checked/redone by other group members to ensure quality.	Provides work that usually needs to be checked/redone by others to ensure quality.
Time-management	Routinely uses time well throughout the project to ensure things get done on time. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Usually uses time well throughout the project, but may have procrastinated on one thing. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Tends to procrastinate, but always gets things done by the deadlines. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Rarely gets things done by the deadlines AND group has to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's inadequate time management.
Working with Others	Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together.	Usually listens to, shares, with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not cause "waves" in the group.	Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member.	Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player.
Monitors Group Effectiveness	Routinely monitors the effectiveness of the group, and makes suggestions to make it more effective.	Routinely monitors the effectiveness of the group and works to make the group more effective.	Occasionally monitors the effectiveness of the group and works to make the group more effective.	Rarely monitors the effectiveness of the group and does not work to make it more effective.

18 to 20 = Excellent team member, 14 to 17 = Good team member, 12 to 13 = You need to work on being a better team member, 11 or less = You weren't much help or you didn't do much, hey, maybe you were absent a lot.