September 21, 2005
Purdue tree identification CD handy for school science projects
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Schools throughout the state are in full swing, and many students are busy collecting leaves for science projects. A new interactive CD from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service can help students and their parents identify the trees where those leaves originated.
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"Fifty Trees of Indiana" is an educational CD that highlights 50 of the state's most common and important trees. The CD includes an interactive tool to identify trees, plus many color photos of tree forms, leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, twigs and buds. There also is a glossary and background information about tree families and communities.
The CD, which sells for $15, was developed at Purdue by the Department of Agricultural Communication and the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.
"The CD is an excellent companion to the time-honored publication "50 Trees of Indiana" and is more user-friendly for the lay audience," said Rita McKenzie, a Purdue Extension urban forestry specialist.
The "eliminator" portion of the new CD is an expansion of the two-page key in the "50 Trees of Indiana" book. It helps students identify trees by asking a series of questions about the leaf.
"Eventually you eliminate other trees until you find yours," McKenzie said. "An added bonus included in the CD is a clue checklist to take into the field. The checklist helps students with the 'eliminator' portion of the CD by asking them to look at different aspects of the leaf and tree."
"Fifty Trees of Indiana" has applications in the classroom as well as at home. Lesson plans included with the CD meet Indiana academic standards for reading, science and math for grade four; science standards for grades six through eight; and standards for biology, environmental science, ecology and evolution for grades nine through 12.
To order, call the media distribution center at (888) EXT-INFO and request the "Fifty Trees of Indiana" CD, item number CD-FNR-2. The CD also is available for purchase online at the Purdue Extension Education Store.
Other tree identification tools available from Purdue Extension include:
• "Fifty Trees of the Midwest" CD (CD-FNR-4, $15).
• "Fifty Trees of Indiana" booklet (4-H-15-80, $3).
• "Trees of Indiana" CD (CD-FNR-1, $25).
Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu
Source: Rita McKenzie, (765) 494-3625, mckenzie@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page
PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue Extension's "Fifty Trees of Indiana" CD has applications in the classroom and the field. Detailed photos and tree use information make the CD handy both for class tree identification projects and forestland owners. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo/Sharon Katz)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2005/trees-cover.jpg
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