Why Are Cherry Trees Blossoming Early in Japan?

News Update

04/08/2021

On this week’s news update: cherry blossoms bloom early, passenger airships return to the skies, and cicadas emerge for summer!

Transcript

On this week's news update…

Cherry Blossom

Cherry blossoms bloom early…

Passenger Airships

Passenger airships return to the skies…

Cicadas Emerge

And cicadas emerge for summer!

First up…

Every spring, people across Japan enjoy a stunning natural treat—cherry tree blossoms!

Bursting into clouds of pink and white, the country's blossoming cherry trees signal the end of winter, and the arrival of spring.

But this year, in the city of Kyoto, trees erupted into color far earlier than expected, reaching full blossom by the 26th March, weeks earlier than normal.

Looking at historical records, scientists have discovered this year's blossom has been the earliest in over 1,200 years—a sign that this seasonal phenomenon might be changing fast.

Scientists believe shifting weather patterns caused by climate change are causing Japan's cherry trees to blossom earlier.

Not only could climate change disrupt future cherry blossoms, it could also cause other plant species to blossom at unpredictable times.

This could affect the ability of some plants to reproduce.

With pollinating insects such as bees arriving too late to interact with the early flowers, plants cannot pollinate, and farmers will be unable to plan their growing seasons.

So as well as signalling the start of spring, early cherry blossoms may also be offering a warning that our natural seasons may be as delicate as the beautiful blossom itself.

Next up…

In 1921, the world's first passenger airship was launched, lifting excited travelers into the sky for the first time.

Filled with hydrogen gas, the airships weighed less than the surrounding air, which allowed them to float through the sky like a balloon.

But following several serious crashes, people were put off traveling by airship.

Now, a century later, airships are once again preparing to welcome passengers.

Quicker than ships, requiring less infrastructure than trains, and far better for the environment than airplanes, modern airships offer a clean and efficient way for passengers to travel the world.

Entering service in 2025, one airship called the Airlander 10 will be able to travel up to seven thousand kilometers, and stay airborne for up to five days at a time.

Modern airships rely on helium gas to float in the air rather than highly-flammable hydrogen, which makes them far safer than airships a hundred years ago!

And finally…

The high-pitched chirp of cicadas soundtrack summer across much of North America.

[cicada chirping]

The distinctive sound is produced by male cicadas vibrating their body to attract a mate.

Measuring up to 120 decibels—even louder than a motorbike—the sound can be so loud that birds are put off approaching the cicadas to eat them.

Over the next few weeks, a huge group of periodical cicadas, known as Brood X, are due to emerge across the eastern United States.

periodical cicadas

Billions strong, the insects that make up Brood X have spent 17 years underground waiting until the right moment of their lifecycle to emerge.

Digging themselves out of the ground when temperatures reach around 64 degrees Fahrenheit, the cicadas will spend around four to six weeks feeding on plants, and mating.

After their eggs hatch, baby cicadas known as nymphs will then head back underground, where they will wait another 17 years before re-emerging in 2038!

That's all for this week, we'll see you next time!

Homepage
Why Are Cherry Trees Blossoming Early in Japan?

Teaching overview

Learning points

Cherry trees in Japan have blossomed at the earliest point of spring in 1,200 years.
A hundred years after the launch of the first passenger airship, modern airships are once again preparing for passenger flights.
After spending seventeen years underground, billions of cicadas across the eastern United States are emerging from the ground to breed.

Curriculum keywords

Nature
Transportation
Insects

Video viewing guide

This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the news update.

Access the guide

Spark a discussion

Cherry Blossom

Have you ever seen cherry blossoms in Japan, or closer to home?
How is climate change affecting when the trees bloom?
How might climate change affect other plants around the world?

Passenger Airships

How do airships float in the air?
Why are modern airships safer than older models?
Do you think modern airships could become a popular alternative to airplane travel?

Cicadas Emerge

Have you seen cicadas in summer where you live?
How do male cicadas produce their distinctive chirping sound?
How old will you be when Brood X's offspring emerge from the ground?

Discover more about the topics covered in this week's News update

Classroom resources

Use these resources to get the most out of the news update and engage your class in topical science!

Video viewing guide

This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the news update.

Access the guide
Make your own science news update

This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science news updates.

Access the guide
Language and literacy activities

This guide gives you ideas for how the news update can be used to support language and literacy activities.

Access the guide

Why Are Cherry Trees Blossoming Early?

Transcript

Teaching overview

Learning points

Curriculum keywords

Video viewing guide

Spark a discussion

Cherry Blossom

Passenger Airships

Cicadas Emerge

Discover more about the topics covered in this week's News update

Classroom resources

Video viewing guide

Make your own science news update

Language and literacy activities

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia