Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a lesson plan that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that they find before researching one specific plant, and designing a Most Wanted poster for it. Then, they work on creating their own dichotomous keys, and plant a garden based on the classifications they have discovered.

Concepts

plant identification, plants, biodiversity, dichotomous keys

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Additional Tags

plant kingdom, plant identification, dichotomous key, monocots and eudicots, class garden, biodiversity, science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the activities over the course of a week, a few months, or the entire school year, according to what best fits your curriculum
• Have kids group animals in the same way to reinforce the concept of a dichotomous key

Pros

• Includes several worksheets, reference pages and links, and a rubric for assessment

Cons

• None