Keys, Kudzu and other Vines: The use of paper copiers to produce pictures of plants that students can be use in the production of a dichotomous key

 

Marsha Fanning

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2004, Volume 25

Abstract

This exercise was developed in an attempt to help students learn some basic botany (simple vs. compound leaves, opposite vs. alternate, etc.) and to use taxonomic keys in a more interactive way than usual. A variety of vines (often considered weeds) can be collected from almost any locale. Placing the fresh vines directly on a copier can give what look almost like herbarium specimens. We reduce the copies to 65% so that they can fit on normal 8.5 x 11-inch paper, and then make a set of copies of all of the plants for each student group. We use about 16 plants, approximately half are compound and half are simple. These copies of various vines are used for demonstrating major visual characteristics. These pictures and characteristics are then used to develop a short dichotomous key. Sorting the pictures into two piles and then dividing each pile by another set of characteristics helps in the process of developing paired statements to be used in the key. The key can then be entered on the computer along with the pictures to give a finished product. Copies of the key can then be printed and used to identify local specimens in the field.

Keywords:  taxonomic key

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2003)