Lesson Overview: Students examine specimens of nine plant species - grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs - and use a dichotomous key to identify them based on their “buried treasures” - underground parts that can sprout after fire and grow new plants.

Lesson Goal: To increase student understanding that plants have many ways to survive wildland fire and/or reproduce successfully after fire, including underground structures.

Objectives:

• Students can recognize different kinds of underground plant parts that can sprout new plants (bulb, rhizome, root crown, lignotuber) after fire.
• Students can use a dichotomous key to determine the species of each one.