• Copy a class set of the Thinksheet, Data Sheet #1, and Family Page. (See Ready to Print.)
• Walk your school grounds and identify trees with seeds.
• Review Related Resources and order library resources for next week's activities.

• Introduce the activity to your students. "In this activity you will..."
  • use seed attributes (size, shape, color) to classify seeds
  • use dichotomous keying to classify seeds found around our school and your home
  • hypothesize the level of biodiversity for your community
  • identify human behaviors that have a positive impact on preserving seed and plant biodiversity
• Tell students what behaviors you expect of them before, during, and after the lesson.
  • scientific thinking
  • respectful listening
  • speaking in appropriate voices
  • participating
• Explain how this activity is grouped:
  • a whole class introduction
  • home seed collecting throughout this week
  • classroom activities using collected seeds next week

• Take students on a seed collecting hike around the school.  Pay special attention to tree seeds. (future photo)
• Introduce the term biodiversity. (See Background Information.)
• Distribute the Thinksheet and give students a moment to complete the "Think It Through" section.
• Review the Online Tree Seed Tour as a class.
• Complete the "Hypothesis" section of the Thinksheet.
• Distribute the Data Sheet and discuss. Demonstrate how to document seed collecting using a seed from the classroom hike.
• Remind students to document seeds as soon as they find them.
• Distribute the Family Page.  Point out that the World Wide Web address for the Online Tree Seed Tour is included to aid them in identifying seeds at home.
• Review Cautions for outdoor activities.  (See Background Information.)
• Assign home seed collecting to be completed within one week using the Data Sheet.

• Students use their Data Sheets to record seeds collected throughout the week.

• Day 2: Share Background Information on Types of Tree Seeds and Seed Reproduction at the conducting of class before beginning other science activities.
• Day 3: Share Background Information on Seed Dispersal and Germination at the beginning of class before conducting other science activities..
• Day 4: Share Background Information on Seed Biodiversity and Seed Bank at the beginning of class before conducting other science activities..
• Day 5: Share Background Information on Plant Products and Conservation to Preserve Biodiversity at the beginning of class before conducting other science activities. Remind students to bring in their seeds for the next school day.
  

Week 2, Day 1: What Kind of Seed Is It? (45 min.)

• Gather the following materials: calculators, miscellaneous seed/tree identification books. (See Related Resources for examples.)
• Copy a class set and make an overhead transparency of Data Sheet #2. Note: Use this sheet for the first 10 seeds collected. If more than 10 varieties are collected, use the back of the data sheet (students) and a clear plastic transparency (teacher).
• Decide how you will manage seed identification resources.
• Bookmark the Online Seed Tour for student use on classroom and/or lab computers.

• Have students share the seeds they collected in small groups.

• Revisit the Online Tree Seed Tour (whole class or one computer per team).  Identify unknown seeds.  Remind students to use their leaf samples as a guide in identification.
• Identify the remaining unknown seeds using the collected library resources.
• Complete Data Sheet #2 as a class and discuss.
  • Calculate the percent of the class that found each tree species (e.g., 5 of 20 students found sugar maple seeds.  5/20ths of the class = 25% who found this species.).  List this data on the Seeds In Fall...Data Sheet #2. Note: Round decimal amounts to the nearest percent.
  • Total the number of different trees/seeds found by at least 5% of your students. Compare this figure with the chart on page one of the Thinksheet.
• Complete the "Make Some Sense of It" section of the Thinksheet.
• Instruct students to keep their seeds and leaf samples at school through the end of the inquiry.

Week 2, Day 2: What Is Dichotomous Sorting? (45 min.)

• Gather the following materials: overhead projector, fine point overhead marker.
• Review the Dichotomous People Sort SAMPLE Data Sheet.
• Make an overhead transparency of the Dichotomous People Sort Data Sheet.

• Introduce the terms attribute and dichotomous. (See Background Information.)

• Have students stand at their desks.
• Ask the class to silently split into two groups based on a common attribute for each group.  Stress that this must be done silently and that the attribute must be lasting and observable (e.g., gym shoes vs. not gym shoes is not acceptable because tomorrow your shoes can change).  Note:  99% of the time this first sort will yield a boy group and a girl group.
• Record this sort onto an overhead transparency of the Dichotomous People Sort Data Sheet.
• Ask each subgroup to silently split again into two groups (creating a total of four groups) based upon a lasting attribute. 
• Record the attributes onto the the overhead transparency of the Dichotomous People Sort Data Sheet.
• Continue splitting and recording subgroups until each student has a unique grouping. (See example.)  Students who finish sorting should return to their seats.
• Share the Dichotomous People Sort Data Sheet with the class.
• Test the dichotomous key (part 1).
  • Have all students stand up at their seats.
  • Call out the first attribute (e.g., fourth grade students in Mr. Shoe's class).  Students remain standing if this attribute applies to them.
  • Trace a path to a connected attribute (e.g., girls).  Students remain standing if this attribute applies to them. Note:  Remind students who sit down to remain seated even if a later attribute applies to them .  The key is designed to narrow to one individual through a series of attributes.
  • Continue in this manner until you get to the last attribute in the series (e.g., Sara Nade).  Only (Sara) should be standing.  If anyone else is standing, retrace the steps and find out why.  In most cases, other standing students didn't hear when a non-attribute was called. Stress that (Sara) is the only person in the room with this unique set of attributes (i.e., fourth grade student+girl+braces+freckles+pierced ears).
  • Repeat the above steps several times. Be sure to demonstrate that dichotomous keys also work backwards (this is a potential sixth grade proficiency test problem).
• Test the dichotomous key (part 2).
  • Call a student to the front of the room.
  • Ask the class to help you use the dichotomous key to identify this persons attributes two choices at a time (i.e., "Is this student a girl or boy? Does this student have long or short hair?)
  • Verify with the selected student that the correct keying path was used on the key.
• Save your overhead of the Dichotomous People Sort.  It makes for a quick review of keying at a later date.

Week 2, Day 3: How Can You Use Dichotomous Sorting to Classify Seeds? (45 min.)

• Gather the following materials: rulers, student seed collections.
• Review the Dichotomous Seed Sort SAMPLE Data Sheet and make an overhead transparency for display.
• Make about 60 copies of the Dichotomous Seed Sort Data Sheet.

• Review yesterday's Dichotomous People Sort activity so that students can connect this learning to seed sorting.

• Share the Dichotomous Seed Sort SAMPLE Data Sheet with students.
• Demonstrate how to sort seeds using four seeds randomly collected from student seed collections.  Emphasize the use of attributes that will be lasting (i.e., color, size, shape).  Avoid using unusual attributes (i.e., scratches, cracks, missing pieces, etc.).
• Group students into teams of four.  Each team member contributes two seeds to make a team collection of eight seeds.  Teams sort their team collection using the Dichotomous Seed Sort Data Sheet.
• Check seed results as each team finishes.  Early finishers can add seed art to their Data Sheet.
• Have each team "star" the bottom attribute for one of the seeds on their Data Sheet and mix up their seeds.
• Rotate teams and have them try to identify the seed with the "starred" attribute for another team's seeds.
• Split teams into paired groups.  Repeat the above sorting activity using a new Data Sheet with each student contributing four seeds to again create an eight seed collection.  Early finishers can begin a second sort of eight new seeds or add seed art to their Data Sheet.
• Return students to their seats to complete a final eight seed sort--individually.  Have students complete art with this Data Sheet.  This will serve two purposes:
  1. It will create a visually appealing work for display on a bulletin board.
  2. It will give you a context for checking their attributes should you want a formative assessment prior to the summative assessment(s).
• Check and/or collect individual Data Sheets.

Note: Some students may be unable to collect eight seeds. Rather than penalizing them, ask students who collected multiple seeds of a certain variety to share extra seeds with those who need some.

Week 2, Day 4: PutItAllTogether (45+ min.)

• Summarize the Main Points
• Biodiversity is the quantity and quality of different living things in an area.  An area rich in biodiversity will have many different living things (i.e., plants, animals, fungi, etc.).
• According to our class seed search, our area is rich/average/poor (choose one) in its tree biodiversity.  Discuss factors which may contribute to this result. (See Background Information: Conservation to Preserve Biodiversity.)
• Dichotomous keys are used to identify people, objects, etc., by their attributes.
• Seed banks hold the seeds for future plant growth and future biodiversity of plant life.
• Humans must regulate their use of plant products in order to conserve plant resources for the future.
• Compliment students for appropriate behaviors during the lesson.
• Evaluation
• Formative: anecdotal notes of teams in progress, incidental questioning of students' rationale for what they are doing (during activity), observation of teamwork, status of the class (end of each unfinished activity day)
• Summative: Choose one or more of the following (See Ready to Print):
  • People Search (concept review)
  • Proficiency Assessment
  • Online Assessment
  • Team Evaluation

Want Something More???

• Check out Related Resources.
• Plant a native Ohio tree species in honor of your students.
• Experiment with collected seeds to see if they will germinate.