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Why do leaves change color in the fall?

Why do leaves change color in the fall?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS:

Why do you think leaves change color in the fall?

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Featured Reviews

“The best part was rubbing the leaves and finding out what kind of leaf we had, and discovering why leaves change color!”
· Lesia · Teacher
“Woah! This is my first time exploring the website and the step-by-step instructions were amazing and the recorded explanation of why trees change colours was clear and concise for kids. Super impressed. ”
· Anna-Gail · Teacher
“The video explaining the concept using scientific vocabulary terms was simple and effective. Having students gather leaves from their community and adding it to the classroom tree gave this a touch of community building.”
· Cristina · Teacher
“Leaf rubbings - fantastic learning. Loved that first graders could remember and understand chlorophyll!!”
· Colleen · Teacher
“The hands on building of our own tree was awesome. The class really got into it and we "grew" it in our hallway outside our classroom to share with the rest of the school.”
· Kristian · Teacher
“Great project!!!! Searching for leaves in nature was the best part. My kids loved it. ”
· Aurora · Teacher
“The students were engaged and had a great time while learning”
· Lori · Teacher
“The students loved making the leaf rubbings and tracing them. We can't wait to put our tree together!!Thank you Mystery Science for a GREAT activity!!!”
· · Teacher
“The best part of this activity is the Community tree! This activity is one of the best as we can tie it to different subjects (language, science, social studies, art, math) ”
· Kalyani · Teacher
“My class loved looking at the leaves and determining what kind of tree they came from.”
· Tobin · Teacher
“The children enjoyed the leaf rubbing. It was also fun to see all the different kinds of leaves they brought in to do the project. ”
· Sarah · Teacher
“Getting to go outside and take a walk and use science eyes to make observations! We saw other elements of nature that peaked our curiosity.”
· Nicole · Teacher
“The students enjoyed it and made insightful observations. They are all looking at trees more thoughtfully. Thanks!!”
· Curtis · Teacher
“Students loved leaf hunting (they found their own leaves to use for project) and the leaf rubbing part too. Once we discussed the sizes of the different leaves they also really enjoyed looking at similarities and differences in their leaves and their classmates leaves (we connected this to the similarity and differences work we were doing with characters in ELA!). As usual- Mystery Science was a hit!!!”
· Shanti · Teacher
“Our students enjoyed the video and were excited and engaged in the leaf rubbing activity. They connected with the science of leaves changing colors and learned an important "why" answer to science around them!”
· Deeann · Teacher
“The best part about this lesson was creating cards for students to take home to their families. ”
· Jessica · Teacher
“A lot of fun for the kids and got them notice how many different kinds of leaves are out there!”
· Nancy · Teacher
“They loved it all! Most of them looked closely at their leaf to identify it and did so correctly! Awesome lesson!”
· Terry · Teacher
“We loved combining art and science! so fun!”
· Katie · Homeschooler
“Thank you for this wonderful lesson! It is a question that is asked every Fall and it was a great visual to help the kids understand this concept.”
· Kristina · Teacher
“I really appreciate how easy it is to gather the materials and have this ready for kindergartners. My students know to wait until they see the "thumbs up" before beginning the next task. Thank you for such an age-appropriate program!”
· Michelle · Teacher
“The activity was excellent! Not only did our Grade 2 students become familiar with various types or trees/leaves in our community, but we also made a fabulous display of our leaf rubbings.”
· Diane · Teacher
“I loved the experience of going outdoors with the children and collecting the different types of leaves. It helped them to really pay attention to the differences in leaves and it was great for the students that needed the movement too. It was fun learning! ”
· Ignacia · Teacher
“These 5 minute videos are excellent ways to get our students exposure to science during very tight schedules! Students were engaged and excited about the topic of why leaves change colors in the fall. ”
· Martin · Teacher
“We really enjoyed the art that went with the lesson and making the tree!”
· Dhira · Homeschooler
“The children loved doing the leaf rubs and identifying them for our tree. You can laminate the real leaves and this makes it easier for the students to make the crayon(colored pencils) rubs.”
· Kelly · Teacher
“The best part was going out on our school playground and hunting for leaves. They felt like scientists.”
· Veronica · Teacher
“The videos are short and very informative! Great visuals for my ELL students. ”
· Maria · Teacher
“the kids loved going outside to find leaves. I even had some bring leaves from home the next day”
· Amanda · Teacher
“This was a perfect blend of video, discussion, and hands on for my special ed class. Thank You!”
· Darryl · Teacher
“We all really enjoyed the leaf rubbings, and finding out what caused leaves to change color. The kids really liked all the videos! I enjoyed reading what the kids were thankful for.”
· Kelin · Homeschooler
“The activity was a great way to incorporate art into science!”
· Dawn · Teacher
“great fun!! we turned our tree into a "Gratitude Tree" and are writing something we are grateful for on each leaf through this season.”
· Heather · Homeschooler
“Loved the leaf rubbing activity and the video was very nicely done. Kept my Kindergarten class engaged.”
· Alesha · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this mini-lesson, students discover how and why some tree leaves change color when the weather starts to get colder. In the activity, Falling for Leaves, students make crayon rubbings of tree leaves, then take a closer look to observe the characteristics of leaves in their own neighborhood.
Preview activity
Community Tree Branches (Grades 3-5) printout
The template has 2 pages that are the exact same except for orientation of the branches. We suggest giving half your students one template and half the other template so that your final Community Tree will have an equal number of branches on both sides of the trunk. 		1 per pair
Community Tree Trunk (Grades 3-5) printout 2 per class
Leaf Shapes (Grades K-2) printout 1 per student
Leaf Thanks Card (Grades K-2) printout 1 per student
Leaves In My Town Guide (Grades 3-5) printout 1 per student
Crayons
3 crayons per student
Glue Sticks
Only needed for Grades 2-5
Details
1 per student
Leaf
Fresh, flat leaves work best.
Details
1 per student
Rulers
Only needed for Grades K-1
Details
1 ruler per student
Scissors
Only needed for Grades 2-5
Details
1 per student
Scrap Paper (8.5 x 11")
2 sheets per student
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can complete the activity on their own.

Have Students Gather Leaves

We find that fresh, flat leaves work best. After a few days, the leaves dry out and become brittle and difficult to use for leaf rubbings. If students collect their own leaves and bring them into class, we recommend choosing leaves that are smaller than the size of their hand. If you have trouble finding leaves in your area, you can always use lettuce or other leafy greens from the local supermarket.

Prepare Your Community Tree Trunk

  • Cut out the pieces of the tree by cutting along the dashed lines of the Community Tree Trunk printout.
  • Arrange the pieces on your wall using tape or sticky dots to hold the paper in place. Watch this video to see how we did it.
  • Each student will need a piece of tape or sticker to attach their Tree Branch to the Tree Trunk.

A Note on the "Leaves In My Town Guide"

In Grades 2-5, students will try to identify their leaf using the "Leaves In My Town Guide." The guide can help to identify leaves that are collected from trees. The guide focuses on the leaves of deciduous trees so it does not include any evergreen conifers.

Extend this lesson

Discussions

Discussion

  1. Why do leaves change color in the fall?

  2. What did this lesson make you curious about? What other questions do you have about leaves?

Activity

Activity

Some trees lose their leaves in the fall. They stay alive without leaves. But can leaves live without trees? Try this! Ask an adult to take you outside. Pick two leaves off a tree or a plant. At home, set one leaf in a place where you can watch it. Can you think of a way to keep the other leaf alive as long as possible? Try your idea. How will you know which leaf is alive the longest?

Credits
 
Seasons Tx Lesson 7: Why do leaves change color in the fall?

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