Grade 4 Winter Outdoor Nature Walk: One-Page Summary Students will visit trees in the Conant schoolyard and identify them by their winter buds. Previously, they attended the Indoor Winter Session in which they learned to use the conifer and deciduous identification keys. This page is a summary of the highlights. Please read the attached Winter Walk Guide for background. Note that the pages in the guide are not consistently numbered because some material from the Indoor Session is repeated in this packet for your reference. If you did not participate in the Winter Indoor Session you may wish to read the Winter Indoor Guide for further background on branching patterns, vocabulary, etc. Supplies: 4-sheet handout per student that includes: o Conifer Key o Deciduous Key o Twig Detective o How Trees Grow One answer key with map of tree locations per adult (you will receive at training or at walk) The guide mentions a worksheet for recording each number s identity. We have found it is better to do this orally because of difficulty writing in the cold weather. Format: Each group will visit the trees and use the conifer and deciduous guides to identify the trees by examining their buds. Try to spread the groups out so that they are not bunched together. Many trees are located along the driveway; try to have only 2 groups at the driveway at one time. See the map for the exact tree locations. Trees will be marked with pink surveyor tape and will be numbered. Below are typical conditions for the trees that we have been observing the past few years. Depending on conditions, you may not have this exact set of trees. Check the map and notes from the trainer for the exact set of trees for this year. Notes on trees: Tree #1 Pussy Willow Any hints of the soft furry buds that we associate with spring? Tree #2 Sumac Note the red berries at top from last year. Tree #3 Red Cedar -- In the past, students have had trouble with the classification of flat. On line AA on the conifer key they often cannot distinguish between Red Cedar and Arbor Vitae. Ask them if they can put this leaf in a book without noticing it? If so, it is flat. Tree #4 White Pine the bud is beneath the needles. Tree #5 Red Maple the red on the twig indicates the new growth. Tree #6 Speckled Alder The kids might have trouble with this one. The key focuses on catkins, but our samples also have a lot of cone-shaped dried flowers along with the catkins. Scroll down on this link to see some pictures of a speckled alder with catkins and cones: http://www.portraitoftheearth.com/trees/speckledalder.html Tree #7 White Oak Compare to Red Oak. Can you see the differences? Blunt buds and rounded leaves. Tree #8 Red Oak The leave stays on all winter, protecting the bud. In the spring, the bud will push off the leaf (much like adult teeth pushing out baby teeth). Sharper buds and pointier leaves than white oak. Tree #9 Sugar Maple Similar to Red Maple, but entire twig is brown. This tree has a tag with its scientific name; hopefully, students won t see it. This was planted by Kindergarten a few years ago. Tree #10 Quaking Aspen -- Similar to the maple in that the tips will be red. This is located across from the driveway