Kourtenay Plummer
December 10, 2013
PBL Assignment
Theme: Seasonal Changes of the American Beech
I chose to follow the American Beech tree throughout the fall. The American Beech is native to
Williamsburg, Virginia; it is also native to many of the states along the east coast. This tree is
easy to track because the Sunken Gardens, on the campus of the College of William and Mary, is
lined with them. In the video, I wanted to give the viewer a little background on the American
Beech prior to discussing the proposed project. While discussing my part in the project, I shared
images of the changes observed in the American Beech on the campus of William and Mary.
Much of the project is about observing and sharing what was observed, so I decided to include a
lot of the images I photographed. I think the students would find the beginning of the video
engaging with the variety of information about the tree. I also think they would be interested in
the end of the video when I discuss a way to combine the American Beech with Project
BudBurst.
During the video taping experience, I faced challenges with deciding what video program to use.
I ended up using Windows Movie Maker which proved to be very efficient and straightforward,
especially for someone who is not very tech savvy like me.
Each day, I took pictures of the American Beech trees that line the Sunken Gardens. My pictures
varied a little; however, all of the pictures were of the trees surrounding the Sunken Gardens.
Each day, I was looking for signs of seasonal change. The official first day of fall was
September 22. Ideally, with a class I would start tracking seasonal changes (or signs of fall) on
the first day of fall. However, tracking the tree when I started proved to be useful because
significant changes were observed. I collected data on weather, temperature and any notable
changes in the appearance of the trees. I organized the data I collected in a table. For
Kindergarten students especially, I believe it would be easier to break down the data day by day
which is why I kept a table. I did not use any data off of the site, though it is available. I did
however use information and important facts from the site to compile my video. Unfortunately, I
lost a lot of my data. What is not shown with the data is that the leaves on the trees started off a
light green with spots of yellow leaves and very few brown leaves. There were a lot of leaves
that covered the ground surrounding the trees.
In my future class rooms, I do plan to incorporate nature and observation walks into my
curriculum. This project would be very useful. Especially in Kindergarten, the students are
expected to:
K.9 The student will investigate and understand that there are simple repeating patterns in
his/her daily life. Key concepts include
a) weather observations;
b) the shapes and forms of many common natural objects including seeds, cones,
and leaves; and
c) animal and plant growth.
K.10 The student will investigate and understand that change occurs over time and rates
may be fast or slow. Key concepts include
a) natural and human-made things may change over time; and
b) changes can be observed and measured.
This project covers weather observations, the shapes and forms of many common natural objects,
and plant growth. It also focuses heavily on natural things changing over time. Since I placed
my data into a table, I observed changes and measured them over time. I would have my future
Kindergarten students to do the same.
Date
Weather Notes
Cloudy
Low
Temperatur
e (Degrees
Fahrenheit)
41
High
Temperatur
e (Degrees
Fahrenheit)
65
Nov. 5
Nov. 6
Cloudy
48
69
Nov. 7
Light Rain
46
69
Nov. 8
Sunny
35
56
Nov. 9
Sunny
32
58
Nov. 10 Sunny, Windy
42
68
Nov. 11 Partly Cloudy
36
57
Noted Changes in the
American Beech
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves have begun to fall
though tree is mostly
covered, remaining leaves are
light green
Leaves are falling though tree
is mostly covered, remaining
leaves are light green and
yellow
Nov. 12 Cloudy, Windy
36
55
Nov. 13
Nov. 14
Nov. 15
Nov. 16
Nov. 17
Nov. 18
Nov. 19
Nov. 20
Nov. 21
27
27
36
51
51
48
40
37
43
43
58
61
60
70
72
54
52
62
46
40
73
60
24
22
35
36
26
42
41
63
65
43
Nov. 29 Sunny
Nov. 30 Partly Cloudy
Dec. 1
Partly Cloudy
26
29
28
48
49
56
Dec. 2
Morning Fog, Sunny
30
60
Dec. 3
Cloudy
31
61
Dec. 4
Morning Rain
45
59
Dec. 5
Morning Rain
51
66
Dec. 6
Partly Cloudy
48
78
Nov. 22
Nov. 23
Nov. 24
Nov. 25
Nov. 26
Nov. 27
Nov. 28
Partly Cloudy, Windy
Sunny
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Morning Fog, Sunny
Partly Cloudy
Sunny
Cloudy
Mornings Clouds,
Sunny
Morning Fog, Sunny
Morning Clouds,
Sunny
Sunny, Windy
Partly Cloudy
Light Rain
Light Rain, Windy
Sunny
Leaves are falling though tree
is mostly covered, remaining
leaves are light green and
yellow
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
Leaves are continuing to fall
A little over 1/3 of the trees
are covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are mostly
brown with some yellow
A little over 1/3 of the trees
are covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
with some yellow
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
Dec. 7
Cloudy, Morning Rain
36
48
Dec. 8
Light Rain
34
37
Dec. 9
Rain
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
About 1/3 of the trees are
covered in leaves; the
remaining leaves are brown
Sources:
The Biology Department at the College of William and Mary. (2013). Campus tour of woody
species: Sunken garden. Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/as/biology/planttour/sunkengarden/index.php
C., D. (2001). American beech. Retrieved from
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/american_beech.htm
Project BudBurst. (2013). About project budburst. Retrieved from
http://budburst.org/aboutus.php
Project BudBurst. (2013). American beech. Retrieved from
http://budburst.org/plantresources_speciesinfo.php?speciesid=222
Sherman, T. S. (2013, September 20). A remarkable american beech. Retrieved from
http://www.web2.cnre.vt.edu/4h/remarkabletree/detail.cfm?AutofieldforPrimaryKey=162
5
The Weather Channel. (2013, December 9). November 5, 2013-yesterday’s weather. Retrieved
from http://www.weather.com/weather/yesterday/Williamsburg VA 23185:4:US