FALL PLANT STUDY. 415 



After this drawing is erased, the children may be asked, 

 "Now, who can tell me the most stories about the pine 

 leaves ? " When they have told all they can without ques- 

 tioning, then question for points not discovered or told by 

 them. 



Essential points to be impressed on the children are : - 



The leaves, or bundles of leaves, are clustered in masses 

 toward the ends of the branches, where all can get the sun. 

 The leaves toward the base of the branches or twigs are 

 loosely fastened ( let children see how easily they pull or 

 drop off) or have fallen off, leaving scars, and causing the 

 roughness of the branch. The resulting balled appearance 

 of the foliage is characteristic of the pine, by which it can 

 be distinguished from other evergreens at a considerable 

 distance. Probably little children cannot see this. 



The leaves are fastened together in bundles, two or 

 three or five in a group, always alike in the same species, 

 with a brownish cup or sheath around the base of each 

 bundle. The bundles grow out from all sides of the twigs, 

 causing the needles to point in many directions. Both of 

 these features distinguish the pines from other evergreens. 



The needles of each bundle are long (how long, as com- 

 pared with children's fingers ? ) blue-green, each flattened 

 on the side toward its companion needle, rounded toward 

 the outside, and pointed, resembling, when there are two 

 needles in each bundle, a lead-pencil split in two. The 

 needles are thick and tough (test it) as compared with 

 leaves of other trees. 



Try to have the children summarize, without questions : 

 the form, size, and color of the needles ; their grouping in 

 bundles, and the way in which they are bound together ; 

 their arrangement about and at the ends of the twigs. 



Have children draw, only from material before them, 

 a twig with two or at most three bundles of leaves. Fasten 



