Course Title: Collect and classify plants

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2015

Course Code: AGRI5021C

Course Title: Collect and classify plants

School: 155T Vocational Health and Sciences

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5305 - Diploma of Conservation and Land Management

Course Contact: Namrita Kaul

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4309

Course Contact Email: namrita.kaul@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

 Jess Drake

Jessica.drake@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 120

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

There are none

Course Description

This unit covers the process of collecting and identifying plants using taxonomic keys and the preserving of plant specimens and defines the standard required to: collect plant specimens; note the location, characteristics and occurrence of specimens at the point of collection; clean, preserve, mount and label plant specimens; use a plant key to identify plants against the botanical description of the species; label preserved specimens.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

AHCPCM502A Collect and classify plants

Element:

1.Prepare for plant collecting

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Purpose and objectives for collecting range of plants is confirmed.
1.2. Area, location and/or habitat for collecting are defined.
1.3. Resources to assist in plant location and identification are determined and prepared.
1.4. Equipment required for collecting and preserving specimens is determined and prepared.
1.5. Licences and/or permission to collect specimens are sought from landowner or managing agency.
1.6. Range of likely operating conditions, hazards and difficult/sensitive environments are assessed for impact on collecting and preserving specimens.
1.7. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) hazards associated with plant collecting are identified.

Element:

2. Collect plant specimens

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Collecting ethics are observed when selecting specimens for picking.
2.2. Relevant information about the specimen, its characteristics and occurrence is entered into a field note book and location coordinates are noted.
2.3. Specimen collected provides adequate material for identification and preserving.
2.4. Specimens are correctly tagged and stored for later identification.
2.5. Appropriate OHS legislative requirements and work practices are followed.

Element:

3. Preserve specimens

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Preservation of specimen is undertaken while still fresh.
3.2. Specimen is cleaned and prepared for preserving according to enterprise guidelines.
3.3. Preserving of specimen carried out using either pressing or drying techniques.
3.4. Dried specimen is mounted and labelled with accurate information from notebook.

Element:

4. Identify plant specimen

Performance Criteria:

4.1. Resources are identified and accessed to assist in identification.
4.2. The basic characteristics of a plant are identified and documented.
4.3. Relevant plant key is used to identify plant.
4.4. Plant identity is confirmed against botanical description of species.
4.5. Plant identity is documented on label according to enterprise guidelines.

Learning Outcomes


This is a competency based course with learning outcomes embedded in the competencies


Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities will include the following:
Use of taxonomic guides
Field trips
Group work
presentations


Teaching Schedule

2015 Dates

Collect & Classify Plants

Class Date Topic Activities & AssessmentDate Due10/2

Intro to Course, Field Guides, other requisites for field work.

     

  17/2 Australia’s Flora – What characteristics do we use to identify them? In class activities 24/2Transect Surveys and Field identification. Meet at East Malvern Station
  Field trip activities 3/3

 ANGLESEA FIELD TRIP

Plant identification, plant communities and ecology

  10/3Organising plant data – location, characteristics, occurrence for Field Trip Reports In class activities using data from Anglesea trip 17/3

 How do we collect and preserve a plant specimen?

 

Assessment 1: Field Trip Report

  20/3

 

24/3 

 What are the key things we look at to identify a plant
  In class activities 31/3 Using online tools and introduction to online tools At home quiz  7/4

 Easter break

 

 

 

14/4

Use a botanical key to identify plants
Choose Group Veg Survey Area
 

 In class activities
  21/4 Design your own Survey and Herbarium Work towards Assessment 2 28/4SELF DIRECTED: Undertake your own plant survey, collect plants. Work towards Assessment 2  5/5 Preserve plants in class Work towards Assessment 2

 

12/5Undertake your own plant classification using identification tools Work towards Assessment 2 19/5 Undertake your own Herbarium Collection Work towards Assessment 2 26/5 Classify and Identify Native Bush Foods (Sorry Day Celebration) Assessment 2: Herbarium 26/52/6 Revision of the Term


 

 9/6- 6/7 Mid year break

 

 

  7/7 Semester 2 schedule to follow  14/7

 

  21/7   28/7    4/8   11/8   18/8 

 

 

 25/8  

 

 

 31/8Mid- semester break  8/9   15/9     22/9    29/9   6/10   13/10   20/10   27/10       


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Field Guide Pocket book: Costermans, L. Trees of Victoria and Adjoining Areas


References

Costermans, L. Native Trees and Shrubs of South Eastern Australia

Clarke, I. & Lee, H. Name That Flower

Flora of Melbourne, Australian Plants Soceity Maroondah, Inc.


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Assessment fo this course may include reports, project work, individual assignments, practical assessment and tests


Assessment Tasks

The overall grade for the year will be one of: CA, CC, CD, CHD, NYC

All assessments must be deemed competent to achieve competency or better for the overall course.

Semester 1

Assessment 1: Field Trip Report- 20%

Assessment 2: Herbarium- 50% (40% + 10% peer assessment)

Assessment 3: In class activities- 30%

Semester 2-  Assessment to follow


Assessment Matrix

Other Information

Nominal Hours for the Course: 120   comprising:

58 Hours - Classroom Contact

32 Hours - Evaluation, Research & Completion of Assignments

20 Hours - Field Work

8 Hours - Workplace Visits

2 Hours - out of class student-teacher consultation

Assessment Information

Extension of time for submission of assessable work- A student may apply for an extension of up to 7 days from the original due date. They must lodge the application form (available on the web http://mams.rmit.edu.au/seca86tti4g4z.pdf ) at least the day before the due date. The application is lodged with the School Admin Office on Level 6, Bdg 51. Students requiring longer extensions must apply for Special Consideration (form available on the Web). For missed assessments such as quizzes- you (& your doctor if you are sick) must fill out a special consideration form. This form must be lodged at the HUB or online with supporting evidence (eg medical certificate), prior to, or within, 48 hours of the scheduled time of any in-class assessment such as a quiz.
Late work that is submitted without an application for an extension will not be corrected
If you miss an assessment task due to unavoidable circumstances, you need to follow the procedure of special consideration and apply within the allowed time frame
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview