Pre-Visit Activities : Plant Habitats : Resources K-Second Grade Online Curriculum : Habitats

Teacher Reference Books
Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries: The Visual Dictionary of Plants, DK Publishing, Inc., New York, 1992.
Using visually striking photographs and illustrations, this book identifies the various parts and structures of a variety of plants.

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1979.

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1980.
The National Audubon Society Field Guides not only contain information to allow the user to identify specific plants, but also provide information on the habitat, range and life history of that plant. They also contain beautiful photographs.

Porcher, Richard D. Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 1995.
Written by a biology professor at the Citadel, this book contains identification information as well as general information on the ecology and natural history of Lowcountry wildflowers. It contains beautiful photographs.

Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1999.
Though admittedly college textbooks are often a little too dry and complex, they are often the best resources for finding information on a particular subject. This college textbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about the biology of plants.

Teal, John and Mildred. Life and Death of the Salt Marsh, Ballantine Books, New York, 1969.
An in-depth look at one of the most important and productive ecosystems in South Carolina, with chapters on spartina grass and the other marsh plants and their effect on the surrounding wildlife communities.

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Teacher Reference Videos
Attenborough, Sir David. The Private Lives of Plants (Video series), Turner Home Entertainment, 1995.
Sir David Attenborough, who was responsible for the heralded Trials of Life video series, has put together this amazing documentary series that uses advanced camera techniques to show the life processes of plants. Though the entire series may be too advanced for elementary students, it is a wonderful resource for teachers.

Teacher Reference Websites
About.com: The Human Internet: Botany
botany.about.com/science/botany/
Information, other website links and live people who can answer questions about plants.

The Botanical Society of America
www.botany.org
Information on the society whose mission is to increase public awareness of botany. Includes links to kids' websites on plants.

The South Carolina Native Plants Society
cufp.clemson.edu/scnativeplants/
Information on the society, on the native plants of South Carolina and on the issues related to native and exotic species. Contains links to related websites.

Student Reference Books
Eyewitness Books: Plant, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, 1988.

Eyewitness Books: Tree, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc, New York, 1988.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach the readers about plants and trees. Contains every thing from photographs that show how a seedling grows to photographs that show how fallen leaves decompose.

Kalman, Bobbie D. How A Plant Grows, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1996.
Text for students on plants that includes information on photosynthesis and the importance of plants to food chains. Includes experiments and activities.

The National Audubon First Field Guide: Trees, Scholastic, Inc, 1999.

The National Audubon First Field Guide: Wildflowers, Scholastic, Inc, 1998
These field guides for children use photographs and text to allow students to identify plants and to learn about their natural history. Also handy as references for teachers.

Zim, Herbert and Alexander Martin. Trees: A Golden Guide, Golden Press, New York, 1987.

Zim, Herbert and Alexander Martin. Flowers: A Golden Guide, Golden Press, New York, 1987.
These field guides for children use illustrations and text to allow students to identify plants and to learn about their natural history. Though not as attractive as the Audubon guides, they are good references for students and teachers.

Student Fiction Books
Fleischmann, Paul. Weslandia, Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999.
This is a picture book, but it is one that can be appreciated by 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. It is the story of an unpopular boy who uses the plants growing in his backyard to create his own civilization. It is a very entertaining story and is effective for showing the dependence of humans on plants.

Morrison, Gordon. Oak Tree, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2000.
The story of an oak tree, how it changes through the seasons and how different animals in the community make use of it. Each page contains natural history information on the various organisms mentioned.

Curricula
Aquatic Project WILD
Aquatic Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on aquatic wildlife and ecosystems. The activities cover a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

Hunken, Jorie and the New England Wild Flower Society. Botany For All Ages: Discovering Nature Through Activities For Children and Adults, The Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, 1993.
A collection of hands-on activities about plants.

Project WILD
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers on a broad range of environmental and conservation topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (803) 734-3814.

For more information click on:
www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/educate/edu1.html#teacher

Field Trip Sites
Plants in a Salt Marsh
One of the best places to see the importance of plants in a habitat is in salt marshes. The Spartina grass that is so important to this habitat as the base of the food chain can be seen everywhere. Many other species (wading birds, fiddler crabs, oysters, periwinkle snails) can be easily observed participating in these food chains. Below are listed some of the sites where salt marshes are accessible to students.

• Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
  Located near Awendaw, this refuge preserves 64,000 acres of marshes, open water and barrier island. The Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center is an interpretive center for the public and school groups that is open Tuesday through Sunday. A boat tour to undeveloped Bulls Island is also available that allows a close up view of the marsh. For more information on Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge call (843) 928-3368. For information on the boat trip to Bulls Island call (843) 881-4582.
  
• Ft Johnson Marine Resources Center
  Located on Charleston Harbor, this division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers interpretive programs that take students directly into a salt marsh. For information on making arrangements for a program call (843) 762-5437.
  
• ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve
  This reserve, located between Edisto Beach and Hunting Island, contains 12,000 acres of tidal marshes and estuarine waters. The area is rich in wildlife: fish, crustaceans, birds and even mammals can all be found here. Boat tours are available through this area for high school and college students. For more information call (843) 762-5032.

Plants
Plants are an integral part of any habitat, and are found almost anywhere. Certain sites in South Carolina are well known for the rare and interesting plants they contain. Below is a listing of some of these sites.

• Devils Fork State Park
  Devils Fork State Park is located in the Northwest corner of South Carolina near Pickens. It is renowned for its wildflowers including the very rare Oconee bells. For more information call (864) 944-2639 or click on www.southcarolinaparks.com.
  
• Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
  Located just south of McCormick near the Savannah River, this geologically interesting site offers a unique array of plants. A variety of wildflowers can be found in the forest and floodplain habitats of this site. For more information call (803) 734-3893.
  
• Rock Hill Blackjacks Heritage Preserve
  Located outside of Rock Hill, this preserve contains plant species more common to prairie habitats than to South Carolina. The site is home to many rare plant species. For more information call (803) 734-3893.

If you are aware of other books, videos, websites, curricula, fieldtrip destinations or other materials that would make excellent resources for this activity, please e-mail them to us for inclusion in this list at: Education@scaquarium.org