Last year at this time, the leaves were beginning to emerge in Houston, Texas. On February 7, 1995 teacher Jo Leland wrote, "I just saw my first redbud leaves. We are on the Gulf Coast so spring comes earlier for us!"
How will this spring compare to the spring of 1995? We hope you'll help us measure spring's northward journey through this study. Simply adopt a local tree and let us know when its leaves are the size of a U.S. quarter, our definition of "leaf-out".
Remember, the leaves you report must be growing on trees--not on bushes or other leafy plants. The trees must also be "deciduous".
CHALLENGE QUESTION #4
What does "deciduous" mean?"
To respond to this Challenge Question, see the instructions at the end of this report.
Classroom Activities
1. Before the leaves emerge in the spring, go outside and see how many
different tree species you can find on your school grounds. A Field
Guide to Trees of North America will help you identify trees by name.
Such a guide will also show you what to look for. You may be surprised
how much variety there is between trees: For example, you can identify
trees by comparing their silhouettes, the shapes of their buds, and even
the texture, color and patterns of their bark.
2. Divide the class into three groups. Have each group try to find a different tree species. Have them mark one small branch of their tree with yarn or flagging ribbon. (For now, this is an exercise in observation. The exact name and identification of the trees is not critical at this point.)
3. This would be a good time to start the Spring Fever activity on page 111 of your Teacher's Manual. Students could begin to collect daily temperature readings so they can compare the rate of leaf growth with temperature.
4. Have students visit their selected tree on a regular basis. They should sketch the buds on the same small branch each time they visit. Students will watch the bud open, the tree bloom and the leaves emerge.
6. Connect with another Journey North classroom. Your students can make predictions, exchange data and compare results from different geographical regions. Use the Teacher-Teacher Feature to locate another participating class. You can do so by sending a message to:
Suggested Resource
Since your students will be receiving reports from other geographical
regions, we recommend "A Guide to Field Identification of Trees of North
America". (Golden Press, 1986). This guide has maps which show where all
the different tree species grow. The maps will lend to discussions
about the effect of climate on the range of tree species.
How to Respond to Journey North Challenge Question #4
What does "deciduous" mean?"
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #4
3. In the body of the message, give your answer!
We'll share your ideas and those of other students in future reports. You can also see Challenge Question responses on Journey North's WWW site.
The Next Leaf-out Update Will be Posted on Friday, February 23, 1996
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