Course Title: Collect and classify plants

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2019

Course Code: BIOL5237C

Course Title: Collect and classify plants

School: 174T School of VE Engineering, Health & Science

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5367 - 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

Seb Buckingham   

jocesebastian.buckingham@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

None

Course Description

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to collect and identify plants using taxonomic keys.
It applies to individuals who analyse information and exercise judgement to complete a range of advanced skilled activities and demonstrate deep knowledge in a specific technical area.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	AHCPCM502 Collect and classify plants
Element:	1. Prepare for plant collecting
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Confirm the purpose and objectives for collecting a range of plants 1.2 Define the area, location and habitat for collecting 1.3 Determine and prepare resources to assist in locating and identifying plants 1.4 Determine and prepare equipment required for collecting and preserving specimens 1.5 Obtain licences or permission to collect specimens from landowner or managing agency 1.6 Assess the range of likely operating conditions, hazards and difficult or sensitive environments for impact on collecting and preserving specimens 1.7 Identify work health and safety hazards associated with plant collecting, assess risks and implement controls
Element:	2. Collect plant specimens
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Observe collecting ethics when selecting specimens for picking 2.2 Enter into a field note book relevant information about the specimen, its characteristics and occurrence and note location coordinates 2.3 Confirm the specimen collected provides adequate material for identification and preserving 2.4 Tag and store specimens for later identification 2.5 Follow appropriate work health and safety requirements and work practices
Element:	3. Preserve specimens
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Preserve specimen while still fresh 3.2 Clean and prepare specimen for preserving 3.3 Preserve specimen using either pressing or drying techniques 3.4 Mount dried specimen and label with information from notebook
Element:	4. Identify plant specimen
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Use the relevant plant key to identify plant 4.2 Identify and document the basic characteristics of a plant 4.3 Confirm plant identity against botanical description of species 4.4 Document plant identity on label

Learning Outcomes

Details of Learning Activities

 

Learning activities include

worksheets
botanical drawings
microscope work
plant identification activities
field trips

Teaching Schedule

 

 

Week No.	Date	Topic	Learning activity	Assessment
1.	8/07	Introduction to course   Cells- Intracellular Structure	Microscope, Drawing, Classification	In Class Assessment
2.	15/07	Plant Structure (Flowering Plants, monocotyledon/dicotyledon)	Video, Microscope, Drawing, Classification	In Class Assessment
3.	22/07	Cell-Intracellular Structure	Making a model of animal cell and converting to plant cell Analysing key characteristics/differences Classification	In Class Assessment
4.	29/07	Ecological Relationships (Eltham Copper Butterfly)	Fieldtrip-  Andrew Yandell Reserve Banyule Council	In Class Assessment   Fieldwork
5.	5/08	Mosses, Ferns and Conifers	Identification, morphology, drawing	In Class Assessment
6.	12/08	Wattles- Family Fabaceae	Identification, morphology, drawing, using dichotomous plant keys	In Class Assessment
7.	19/08	Eucalyptus	Identification, morphology, drawing	In Class Assessment
8.	26/08	Actinomorphic Zygomorphic Flowers and Leaf Morphology   Preparing a Herbarium	Identification, morphology, drawing   Obtaining licenses or permissions; preparing a plant specimen using relevant equipment; conditions, hazards and sensitive environments; ethical considerations; collecting and preserving specimens	In Class Assessment   Populate Job Safety Analysis worksheet for personnel collect ing and classifying plants (work, health and safety)
	Mid Semester Break, no classes 2 September- 6 September
9.	9/09	Plant ID	Fieldtrip: Maranoa Gardens	Fieldtrip
10.	16/09	Myrtaceae	Identification, morphology, drawing, using dichotomous plant keys	In Class Assessment
11.	23/09- 26/9	Wonthaggi Field trip	Vegetation and plant species survey for Wonthaggi Field Trip Report	Wonthaggi Field Trip Report
12.	30/09	Wonthaggi Plant ID	Identification of specimens (leaves and flowers)	In Class Assessment
13.	7/10	Rhamnaceae	Identification, morphology, drawing	In Class Assessment
14.	14/10	Asteraceae, Lamiaceae   Pea family Fabaceae(sub family Faboideae) ‘Pomaderris’   Family Rhamnaceae	Identification, morphology, drawing, using dichotomous plant keys (Lamiaceae)	Assessment 1. Portfolio of in-class assessment due Assessment 2. Wonthaggi Field Trip Report due
15.	21/10	Dichotomous Key	Practice Dichotomous Key Test	In Class Assessment
16.	28/10	Practical test in class	Plant identification Test (Dichotomous Key)	Assessment 3. Herbarium due Assessment 4. Plant identification Test

 

Notes:

The above delivery plan is to be used as a guide only and is correct at time of distribution. Sessions may be deferred and/or cancelled.

 

 

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

Assessment in this course may include research assignments, written reports, quizzes, field trip work and plant collection & preservation (herbarium)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Number	Title	Due Date
1.	In Class (Practical) Assessment	Folio due 13/10
2.	Wonthaggi Field Trip Report– vegetation description	13/10
3.	Herbarium	27/10
4.	Plant identification Test	Week 16

Assessment Matrix

Other Information

Assessment Information

This course is graded in accordance with competency-based assessment

CA Competency Acheived
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for assessment

To pass this course you need to achieve a satisfactory result for all assessments. Students may be given additional opportunities to demonstrate competence.

Late work that is submitted without an application for an extension (see below) will not be corrected.

• APPLICATION FOR 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 online http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension) at least 24 hours before the due date. The application should be emailed to the Program Coordinator (namrita.kaul@rmit.edu.au). Students requiring longer extensions must apply for SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
• For missed assessments such as tests and field trips- you (& your doctor if you are sick) must fill out a special consideration form. This form must be lodged online with supporting evidence prior to, or within, 5 days of the scheduled time of the assessment http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration
   

Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is your own. It is a form of cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to expulsion from the University. Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form, including electronic data and oral presentation. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material used is not appropriately cited. It also occurs through enabling plagiarism, which is the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy your own work. Please make sure you consider this carefully in completing all your work and assessments in this course and if you are unsure about whether you might have plagiarised, seek help from your teacher. 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview