How healthy are your trees?

This activity is designed to get students thinking about plants as living organisms that have to survive, breed and defend themselves against disease. Students begin by cataloguing the health of trees in the area, and can then follow this with a statistical investigation, as suitable for your location and the time of year.

It fits with the current A-level ecology units, raising awareness of plants and using plant diseases as a tool to practise statistical tests. It would be a useful field activity to encourage students to think about appropriate sampling methods.

In addition, the new science GCSE proposal includes the study of plant disease. The opening activity would be a good starting point to raise GCSE student’s awareness of disease.

This practical was devised by Julie Bourne of King Edward VII School, Sheffield, after attending the SAPS Gatsby Plant Summer School in July 2013, funded by an ENTHUSE Award.

For more about this resource, visit the SAPS website.