Project Summary
Using some of the information covered in our lessons this semester, we created informational display panels to showcase the biodiversity of plant life in Arizona. The panels include one about leaf and tree anatomy and another panel on how knowledge of tree anatomy and growth can be used to determine the age of a tree when it was cut down. The tree ring trunk sections also demonstrate how different species of trees grow at different rates, and individual growth years can vary depending on access to water, nutrients, and light. The trunk sections were cut out of larger logs and sanded down. We varnished the sanded sections with a clear lacquer to help preserve them. Leaf samples were collected and pressed. Using what we learned in class, we wrote up a display summary and attached it to our panels.
Semester Highlights
We started the semester with a two part lesson plan on forensic science and crime scene investigation where students solved a fictional “murder” case involving different animals as the suspects and victims. Several lesson plans involved lessons on tree and leaf anatomy which we used as the basis for our service project. We also did a lesson on insect anatomy and fossils. While learning about glaciers and rivers, we were able to see how sand, dirt, and stones suspended in water such as a river could cut through the ground to form geological features such as the Grand Canyon or the river bed of the Rio Salado. We had the opportunity to visit the Rio Salado twice this semester and observe the river in action after heavy rains this spring, and later in the semester, we were able to explore the demonstration area.
Donors
Berry Bros Firewood (Tempe)
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