Look at these five leaves from Irish hedges, lawns and school gardens. How would you tell a friend which one is which — without pointing?

A feature is something you can see on a leaf that helps tell it apart, like a prickly edge or a wavy shape.

Identify means work out the name by following the clues carefully.

Here is what a branching key looks like. Start at the top and answer each question.

We will look closely at real leaves next, then use clear features to finish our class key.

In groups, look closely at five leaves: oak, holly, dandelion, daisy and fern. Use a hand magnifier. What features can you see?

We will complete a yes-or-no branching key for our five leaves. Look at the interactive activity on the board.

The questions are:

• Does it have prickly edges?
• Is it divided into many small leaflets? (many small parts along a stem, like the fern)
• Does it have deep wavy lobes?
• Is the edge deeply jagged or toothed?

For each leaf, answer the questions in order. The first yes tells you its feature box: prickly edges, many small leaflets, deep wavy lobes, or a jagged or toothed edge. A leaf that gets no every time goes in smooth plain edge. When every leaf is in a box, we say which leaf is which: holly, fern, oak, dandelion or daisy.

Write your answer and one reason on your Investigation Journal page. Be ready to explain your path to the class.