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Subjects
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Grades 3-5, 6-8 |
Brief Description
Students uncover facts about the famous cherry trees of Washington, D.C., and make predictions about this year's peak bloom.
Objectives
Students Students
Keywords
cherry, flowers, hunt, plants, predict, spring, temperature, trees, Washington
Materials Needed
Lesson Plan
To many, the event that marks the true beginning of spring in the United States is the blooming of the cherry trees along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. An annual rite of spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is held in late March through early April, but predicting the peak bloom -- like predicting the weather -- is an imprecise science!
Begin this activity by discussing the signs of spring in your area and talk about the change of seasons as reflected in trees. Flowering trees are a common sign of the approach of warmer weather, especially the blooming cherry trees of Washington, D.C. Point out to the students that a festival is held each year to mark this event. Examine the pictures of the Smithsonian Institution's Washington's Spotlight Cherry Blossoms page or other photos of the cherry blossoms. Why, do your students believe, do so many people visit the nation's capital during the festival to see the cherry trees in bloom?
Now distribute to students copies of the Cherry Blossom Time work sheet. (Younger students may benefit from group work, but older students may complete the sheet independently.) Direct students to the Cherry Trees of Washington Bloom Watch page from the National Park Service or other resources you have gathered about the topic. Have them record the appropriate answers to the questions by touring the pages of the Web site.
For the bonus question, students can use two sites to make more accurate predictions: When Will They Bloom? and The Weather Channel: Washington, D.C. Hold a class discussion about when the students expect peak bloom this year and why.
Extension Activities There are many ways to expand this activity! Check out the following three suggestions.
Assessment
Students should correctly answer seven of ten questions on the work sheet and make an appropriate guess for the bonus question.
Answer Key:
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Cara Bafile
National Standards
SCIENCE
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
TECHNOLOGY
See more spring lessons on Education World's Spring Has Sprung theme page.
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