Name:______________________________ Period: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Date:________________
Tree Leaf
Classification
Project
Project Instructions:
Each student is required to make a collection of 15 tree leaves from different species of trees.
Each leaf will need to be dried, mounted, and classified. Your leaves need to come from 15
different species of trees and should not come from other plants such as bushes, flowers, etc.
Follow the instructions below to help you with each of these steps.
Drying:
Place each leaf between two pieces of paper (newspaper works great). Place these papers
between two books. Make sure each leaf is lying flat. You may also place seeds of these trees in
with the leaves. Place extra weight (like more books) on these books. Set them in a place where
they won’t be disturbed. Drying takes three to four days.
Mounting:
Place the leaves on a white sheet of printer paper. Label each leaf by writing its common name,
scientific name, where it was collected, and the date collected. You may then tape the leaf to the
paper by completely covering it with scotch tape. You may place more than one leaf on a paper
as long as they fit and you can put all of the necessary information on the sheet.
Identification:
Have your family or friends help you with the common names of the tree leaves you wish to use
for your collections. You may also use the sample classification key on the back of this paper or
look up additional tree leaf classification keys online. You can use this online classification key
http://forestry.about.com/od/treeidentification/tp/tree_key_id_hardwood.htm or any other
classification keys you locate online, just make sure they need to be intended to be used for trees
found in Utah. Once you know the common name research the scientific name online.
Additionally there is a phone/tablet application called LeafSnap. You can take a picture of your
leaf on a piece of white paper and it will help you identify it.
Classification Key:
You need to create a classification key that another person could use to identify your leaves.
Your classification key should direct users to the scientific names of the various trees used in this
project. Your classification key should use proper terminology when referring to leaf shape,
arrangement, and leaf margins. Make sure and look at the additional paper attached to this
assignment for extra help in using the correct leaf terminology. A quick internet search will also
give you additional information on various leaf shapes, arrangements, and margins.
Extra Credit:
Students who want to receive extra credit on this assignment can add up to 10 additional leaves
that they dry, mount, identify, and include in their classification key.