ARBORETUM PORTFOLIO

Developed by: Harold Leate 

Summary: The students will use current technology to create a photographic record of the growth of wild flowers found at the Benny Simpson Arboretum located at the Miller Springs Nature Center, Belton, Texas. 

Connection to Curriculum: As the students learn about the diversity of life the students will study the growth of the plants located at Benny Simpson Arboretum at Miller Springs Nature Center. Students will use digital cameras to photograph and record the growth of the plants at different seasons of growth. The students will then create a web site to share there findings with others in the central Texas area. 

Time: To cover all periods of plant growth this project this project should involve data collection through out the school year. This project should take about 1 to 2 class periods per month. Students can collect digital pictures either on a class field trip or on there own. If the students collect pictures of the plants on the weekend they can then share the pictures and the data with the rest of the class. The students should understand how important research documentation is. 

Materials:

                          Digital Camera
  Computer
  Variety of plants or a garden with a variety of plants
  Web Page software 

Objectives:   

TEKS 8.1 The student conducts field and laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical practices. 

TEKS 8.2 The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. 

TEKS 8.6 The student knows that interdependence occurs among living systems. 

TEKS 8.12 The student knows that cycles exist in Earth systems. 

TEKS 8.14 The student knows that natural events and human activities can alter Earth systems. 

Procedures:   

1. First step is to plant a variety of plants or locate a location that has a variety of plants that you can observe. This might be a good exercise to couple with a natural plant project. The order that the students take the pictures will be backwards. They will take the fall pictures then the winter and into spring and summer. This will give the students an excellent opportunity for data collection and analysis.  

2.  Students will take digital photographs and write detailed observations of the plants as they grow. Students can then start a web site that will allow others to benefit from the research being conducted. The plant may not be labeled so the students would conduct research to identify the plants that they are studying. 

Questions:  

1.  What effect did the seasons have on the plants that you observed ? 

2.  What changes occurred as the seasons changed ? 

3.  How were the plants adapted to their environment ? 

4.  When did the plants begin to show new life ? 

5.  Did the plants return the next year or did they have to be replanted ? 

6.  What were the soil conditions where the plants grew ? 

Evaluation: The students will work in pairs. They will collect photographs and conduct research. The students will select one of the above questions and using the scientific method and the data collected construct a research project that will provide the solution. 

Expanding the Lesson: 

1. Students can design a garden guide on growing plants in Texas. 

2. Students can produce a brochure about the plants that they have researched. 

3. Students can construct a web page where they can share the information with other schools and join in a joint research project. 

Resources:  

Ajilvsgi, Geyata. Wild Flowers of Texas, Shearer Publishing, Fredericksburg, Texas. 1991