RETURN to GINKO Tree Timelapse

This Wondercast explores what happens to a deciduous tree every fall – dropping it's leaves. The Wondercast explores these questions – “When do the leaves of a Ginkgo tree fall off the tree?” and “How long does it take for a Ginkgo tree to drop all it's leaves in the fall?” It also introduces evergreen trees and how they are different than deciduous trees in terms of fall leaf drop.

Each Wondercast time-lapse also includes 10 scientist questions. Kids earn scientist points for each correct answer. These questions were designed for kids who are playing the Wondercast on their own. They help focus attention on how to use the interface and the kinds of information and relationships that can be discovered in a 4-H Children's Garden Wondercast.

If a teacher or parent is present, kids can be encouraged to ask their own questions. By carefully exploring Wondercasts, kids can engage in their own science discoveries. They will have new questions, explore the Wondercast to discover the answers and explore how weather changes might be related to their questions. In this way, Wondercasts become powerful learning experiences that will encourage kids to wonder and look more closely at the amazing changes that occur around them everyday.

Use this Ginko Tree Wondercast as a starting point to have kids look more closely at this common, everyday fall event.

  • Encourage them to ask additional questions such as: “Do other trees at school (or home) loose their leaves at the same time as the Ginkgo?” “Why do you think they would be the same or different?” “Do other trees drop their leaves as quickly as the Ginkgo?”
  • Carefully observe trees at your school or home to discover the answers.
  • You can also get local weather information (on-line or from your local weather service or TV station) that you can compare to the Wondercast weather information and relate to the leaf drop that you observe at school or home.
  • Encourage kids to think about other variables and changes that might be related to leaf drop, or even control it. In addition, encourage kids to explore what happens to evergreen trees when deciduous trees are losing their leaves.Do you think these differences are related to weather variables? Is one method of dealing with cold (freezing) weather better than the other?
  • Have the kids make lists of advantages and disadvantages of each and then compare.
  • You could also do a quick school yard (or home) tree inventory to determine the numbers of deciduous and evergreen trees, then convert these to percentages. Do you see any patterns relative to where the trees are located?

These are just a few ideas to get you and your kids going. You take it from here – ask lots of questions and be sure to have fun discovering the answers. As you work with the 4-H Children's Garden Wondercasts and create your own explorations, let us know what you are doing. When you come up with interesting Wondercast questions and answers, or if you invent interesting ways to teach using the 4-H Children's Garden Wondercast, please email us! please email us! Send email to “Dr. Norm” Lownds, lownds@msu.edu.

For kids (and teachers) using Wondercasts as part of classroom explorations, written questions and answer sheets and associations with National Science Standards are available by request. (Send email to garden@commtechlab.msu.edu.)

Below you'll find a quick view for parents and teachers of the QUESTIONS and OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS for the Ginko Tree timelapse.

Questions:

  1. What month does this Wondercast cover? (October/November)
  2. What color are the leaves on October 29th and 30th?
  3. On which day does the Ginko have more leaves?
  4. What's the first day when most of the leaves were gone?
  5. Which night was coldest?
  6. Which day had the most wind?
  7. On November 4, what color are the Spruce trees (behind the Ginko)?
  8. Are the Spruce trees still green on November 20th?
  9. Why does the Ginko lose leaves but the Spruce stays green?
  10. Do you have any deciduous trees at your school or home?

How to Operate the Ginko Tree Fall Wondercast
(Ant Reporter)
October 29 through November 25, one image per day

There is one picture for each day. 

 Watch the full timelapse by clicking on the PLAY leaf. 

Move FORWARD or BACKWARD one step at a time by clicking the plus or minus leaf. 

 This arrow shows where you are in the timelapse.  You can click and drag the arrow to move around in time. 

Click on a calendar date to jump to that day.

Look closely at each picture. 

See how much wind blew during the whole day in miles per day.

See how much rain fell during the whole day in inches per day. 

See the high and low temperatures for each day.

You can answer questions to earn scientist points.

 Click on the Next leaf when you are ready for the first question. 

You'll see your tree scientist score near the top left of the screen. 

When the hint leaf appears you can click on it for hints about how to answer questions  Have fun and good luck.

Hey psssst!  You can also use the keyboard to move about the Wondercast.  Use the spacebar to play and pause.  Use the right and left arrows to move forward and backward.

Click on HQ to return to the Wondercast introduction, where you can choose a different timelapse.  Click on HELP to replay the help.

View other Wondercast Information for Parents and Teachers:

Jump to general parent and teacher wondercast information, or see information specific to the other timelapses:

Cypress Tree

Sweet Potato Leaves

Fall Clouds

RETURN to GINKO Tree Timelapse

RETURN to Wondercast