Botanical vocabulary - Leaves

Learning objectives (Slide 2)

• use of scientific vocabulary to describe and recognise leaves

Introduction: dandelions (Slides 3-6)

1. Learners look at the images of dandelion leaves and list as many similarities as they can.
2. Use the similarities identified to write a description of a dandelion leaf that describes all three leaves.

This challenge is something the people who study nature need to deal with all the time.  A single species can have characteristics that vary a lot between individuals. Knowing when differences in a characteristic are variations or indications of a different species is important for accurately measuring biodiversity. 

Leaf vocabulary (Slides 7-14)

Vocabulary to describe different parts of a leaf.

Practice using vocabulary (Slides 15-20)

1. Look at the dock and greater plantain leaf. Use the leaf vocabulary to identify differences between these leaves.
2. Revisit dandelion leaf images. Learners use leaf vocabulary to adjust their descriptions so all the leaves are included.  

Extra detail (Slides 21-24)

Optional extra information about recognising compound leaves. 

Activities for practising leaf vocabulary (Slides 25-28) 

Make descriptions more scientific
The descriptions of leaves in the Grassland Plants Survey are written with simplified language so that most people, including younger people, can understand the descriptions. Rewrite the description for one of the leaves to use more scientific language.

Record variation
The Grassland Plant Survey asks learners to record the coverage of nine indicator species. Learners could use botanical language to describe the variation in leaf shape they find in each indicator species.

Searching or prompting
Even with modern technology, search terms and AI prompt engineering are important skills that require the use of detailed descriptive vocabulary.  Does more specific and descriptive language improve results?