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Use plant photos to match physical and visual characteristics to plants in your community. Exploration Questions • What patterns are you noticing? • Are you finding some plants in different places? How do those places differ from each other? • What colors are you noticing? • Did you find any new places? • What was your favorite plant or place?

Use the characteristics on the back of the plant photos (and the plant photos) to practice new plant-related vocabulary and learn about the ‘clues’ that botanists, plant ecologists and foresters use to identify plants. Exploration Questions • Are there certain words, phrases or characteristics that are repeated? • Are there words that you aren’t familiar with? What do you think those words mean with context clues? • Why do humans care about plants and their characteristics?

Using the example dichotomous key provided, see if you can find the names of the plants on our list. Exploration Questions • How many plants were you able to name and identify? • What would you change about the dichotomous key? • Do you feel like you could name these plants without the key? • Did you notice plants had characteristics that differed from each other?

Using new or existing characteristics that you noticed about each plant, create your own dichotomous key. When you’re finished, switch with a friend and see if they can use your key. Exploration Questions • Did your friend notice or use different characteristics than you did? • What differences exist between your key and the example key? • What would you change about you or your friend’s key? • Were you able to accurately identify the plants?

Get creative! Make a map, write a story, draw a picture or do another activity to learn more about plants on the list. Exploration Questions • Can you identify all 29 plants without a key? Do you use another tool or skill to memorize them? • Describe a time when you found a plant that you thought was interesting. What did you do? Why did you find it interesting? • When you started the activities, did you notice anything about how you were grouping plants or their characteristics together?