Making a life-size leaf collection

In this activity, students gather, press and label plant leaves to create a life-size leaf collection. Students laminate the dried leaves for easier handling and storage.

The collections can be used to:

• create a set of life-size leaf identification guides for use in outdoor education settings
• create a record of the plants growing along a transect line to view changes in the area on an annual or biennial basis
• create a collection of plants for use in observation and classification activities
• create a set of sample leaves to find in a scavenger hunt
• create a display for aesthetic reasons – similar to the coffee table plant books of the Victorian era.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• understand the processes used for collecting, pressing and drying plant leaves
• use resources to identify the plant leaves
• decide what information to include on an identification label
• discuss the value in having a leaf collection.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

• background information for teachers
• student instructions.