Flora of North America

In one or two pages, these fact sheets serve as case studies or springboards for stimulating student project ideas. View the illustrated, classroom-ready sheets online, or use them as transparencies or handouts. Each introduction includes strategies for using the fact sheets, web links, and references.

How do You Use a Flora? (PDF Version)
This fact sheet leads students through the parts of a species entry in a flora or field guide. It breaks down student barriers to unfamiliar scientific material and reinforces the value of binomial nomenclature. The Educator’s introduction gives links to binomial meanings and pronunciation.

North American Carnivorous Plants: Convergent Traps (PDF Version)
Students learn where carnivorous plants grow in North America and how they capture food. Then they discover that pitfall traps originated independently in American pitcher plants, Asian pitcher plants, Australian pitcher plants, and South American carnivorous bromeliads.

Pollination Partnerships: Yucca and Yucca Moth (PDF Version)
Many plants rely on animals for pollination, and many animals rely on nectar and/or pollen for food. Pollination partnerships, including the remarkable association between yucca and yucca moths, are a fascinating example of mutualism and their ecological importance.