Tree Identification Lab

Objective:

The purpose of this lesson plan is to learn how to recognize and identify some of the different types of plants and trees in the southeastern U.S.

Introduction:

The tree is one of the most beautiful and useful products of nature. We use trees for many of the things we need to survive. The oxygen we breathe is produced by trees. Trees provide the wood we use to build shelter. Some trees produce syrup for the pancakes and waffles we eat for breakfast. Trees provide shelter and food for animals.

In this lesson you will learn about the characteristics used to identify trees. You can identify a plant in several ways: by its type (shrub, vine or tree), leaves, flowers, bark, shape and fruit.

Materials

Before you do the lab, check out the Lab Preparation Guide.

Activity:

Questions

  1. Describe the trees that you observed. Include observations like the size and shape of the tree, and type of leaves. If the tree was flowering or bearing fruit, note that also. What color flowers? What kind of fruit?

  2. Name any fruit type trees that you observed in the activity. Did you know they were fruit trees? How?

  3. Identify the trees with flowers, the flower type trees.

  4. Name two deciduous trees.

  5. Name two coniferous trees.


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