Why Leaves Change Color Food Factory Leaves are like the food factory of a plant. They contain a chemical called chlorophyll which needs sunlight for production. Chlorophyll helps the leaf turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose a type of sugar that the tree uses for energy. This process is called Photosynthesis. Leaves contain many color-containing cells called chloroplasts that help the process, but chlorophyll is the most common type. And it is green. So all summer while the leaves are green and the plants are absorbing the sun s energy to get food, there are also other colors in the leaves. We just can t see them because the chlorophyll covers them up. What happens to the green? As autumn approaches, the daylight hours grow shorter and shorter. With less sunlight, leaves are not able to produce enough chlorophyll to hide the other chloroplasts with all that green. The chlorophyll fades and as the green disappears from the leaf, the other colors (red, orange, and yellow) emerge. People often think weather makes the leaves change, but that is not the case. Rather, it is the amount of sunlight the trees receive each day that dictates what color the leaves will be. Weather does, however, affect the change. Sunny days and cool nights affect how brilliant or dull the autumn leaves will be. Too many rainy days or nights that are too warm can lead to dull
fall colors. If there is not enough rain, the leaves will die quickly and fall to the ground before the chlorophyll has a chance to fade and let the other chloroplasts shine. Write the definition: Chlorophyll Chloroplast Glucose Photosynthesis Learn the parts of a leaf: Stem Petiole Blade Vein Tip
Stem: Part of the leaf that attaches the leaf to the tree Petiole: Stem-like part of leaf that joins the blade to the stem Blade: Broad, flat part of the leaf where photosynthesis occurs Vein: Part of the leaf that carries food and water Tip: The tip of the leaf Fill in the parts of a leaf:
Autumn Leaf Wordsearch C G L P P S L L A F R M K M F R R G H U W U N F E B E E C D E E I O S R I M H A S T S L C S E B T A E P T M M E S Y H V O N H O V T A L M E H L L S O C A I S Z E H T I P R O C U Y U M Z Y W D B G W S R Q S U M L V B N I N A Z I O H T I B Z G V W T A Z Q E P L E T L Z E H K G H C Q B L M Z N A J Y P O H R E I U A L S W D U O L E K K Q S U S H T G E A J S P R W W L I T P E T I O L E J K S Z W P S L L Y H P O R O L H C F F E B D A H G D L Z M T X V BLADE CHLOROPHYLL CHLOROPLASTS FALL GLUCOSE GREEN LEAF PETIOLE PHOTOSYNTHESIS STEM SUMMER SUNLIGHT TIP VEIN WEATHER
Autumn Leaf Crossword Across 5. chemical that produces food in a leaf 7. season when plants use leaves to create food 8. color of chlorophyll 9. affects how brilliant or dull autumn leaves will be Down 1. light that plants use for energy 2. season when leaves change color 3. the process of turning sunlight into energy 4. a type of sugar that trees use for energy 5. color-containing cells in leaves 6. food factory of a plant Word Bank glucose chloroplasts sunlight chlorophyll fall leaf summer weather green photosynthesis
Autumn Leaf Science You can discover a lot about leaves with just a few simple science experiments. Sometimes we forget that trees are living beings, too. They eat, breathe, and enjoy the sunshine and warm weather just like we do. To learn about how trees breathe, try this easy peasy experiment. Watch a leaf breath What you need: A clear glass bowl Lukewarm water A leaf freshly picked from a tree A small rock What you do: Fill your bowl with lukewarm water Set it full sunlight Pick a leaf from a tree and place it in the bowl (a leaf from the ground won t work the leaf has to still be trying to breathe) Use the small rock to weigh the leaf down so it is fully submerged Wait a bit. We saw our bubbles after about 1 hour, but it could take a mite longer. What s happening: Just like we have to release the carbon dioxide our bodies create when we breathe, a leaf has to get rid of the items it no longer needs to create energy-oxygen and excess water. Your leaf is still using sunlight to make food. As the leaf releases its extra oxygen while submerged under water, bubbles are created. Watch closely. Because oxygen is lighter than water, the bubbles will rise to the surface, just like the bubbles in a soda do.
You can also check to see how sunlight affects a leaf. You know sunlight is important to plants, but sunlight carries all the colors of the rainbow. Is one color more important than the others? Do this experiment to find out. Leaves and Light Experiment You will be covering the leaves of your plant with sleeves of clear plastic of different colors and using black construction paper to completely block light from one leaf. What you need: 5 sheets of clear transparency film Permanent markers in red, green, blue, and yellow Black construction paper Scotch tape A healthy, leafy houseplant and a sunny window or A leafy outdoor plant What you do: Using the permanent markers, color each of 4 sheets of film a different color-one red, one green, one blue, and one yellow Leave on film sheet clear Cut each sheet into 6 squares by cutting each in half lengthwise and into thirds along the width Place 2 squares of the same color together and tape along 3 sides, forming a sleeve or pocket You should have 3 sleeves of each color Place the leaves over the leaves of the plant, securing it to the leaf by taping the open side shut around the stem Space the colors out so they have plenty of room Make sleeves with both the clear film and the construction paper and secure to each to a leaf in the same manner
If you re using a houseplant, place it in your sunny window and rotate the plant each day for a week If you re using an outdoor plant, just wait a week When your week is up, carefully remove the sleeves one at a time, recording the color of the sleeve and appearance of the leaf in the table on the next page. Write your conclusion in the space provided
Leaves and Light Table Clear Sleeve Color Leaf 1 Leaf 2 Leaf 3 Black Blue Green Yellow Red Conclusion:
Leaf Man Acrostic Poem Write a poem about the Leaf man using the letters of hisname at the beginning of each line. L E A F M A N
Leaf Man s Journey Write a story about where Leaf Man might end up in your neighborhood. Include all the cool places you think he would go.
Story Sequencing Cut out the strips on the next page and glue them into the travel itinerary in the order they happen in the story. Season: Traveler s Name: Destination 1 Destination 2 Destination 3 Destination 4 Destination 5 Destination 6 Destination 7 Destination 8 Destination 9 Destination 10 Destination11 Destination 12 Destination 13 Destination 14 Destination 15
Over the ducks and geese Past the spotted cows East past the chickens Over the fields of pumpkins and winter squash Past potatoes, carrots, and cabbages in rows Following the butterflies South Out of sight Over mountains with a flock of birds Over the Prairie Meadows Towards the Marsh West above the orchards Gliding on a Lake Breeze Flying along the River North with leaves that look like him Over the turkey
Illustrate Leaf Man s Final Destination
Thank you so much for downloading this Leaf Man Leaf Packet. I hope you and your littles enjoyed it. For more free mini units and other printables, visit Lit Mama Homeschool and subscribe for free. If you are interested in Lit Looking Glass Novel Studies or other unit studies from Lit Mama Homeschool, click on the link below to go to my Lit Looking Glass Shop. Copyright KT Brison 2016 Home educators and parents who have purchased this ebook may print the material and use it as they wish, but it is illegal to copy, sell, or reproduce it for financial gain or in a public forum without permission.