Did you ever wonder why leaves change colors in the fall?
To answer that question, first you need to know what leaves do and why they are green in the first place.
Leaves are the factories that produce food for the tree. They take water from the ground and a gas called carbon dioxide from the air to create sugar. This process is called photosynthesis, and it is powered by sunlight. The chemical that makes photosynthesis possible is called chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is the reason why leaves are green in color. Chlorophyll is green. For most of the year, this chemical overpowers all the other chemicals in the leaf, blocking out all the other colors.
But these leaf food factories work only under the right conditions. When Fall comes around, the days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler. This signals the tree that the food-making process is over for the year. The tree stops producing chlorophyll. The chlorophyll that is left in the leaves slowly breaks apart.
After the chlorophyll is gone, many other chemicals remain. Some others are also produced. These chemicals are brown, red, and yellow. Without the green chlorophyll, the other chemicals finally have a chance to show off! These chemicals are the reason for the radiant colors we associate with Fall.
Craft:
Material:
Popsicle Stick
Leaf
Two goggly eyes
Glue Stick
Directions:
Have children pick out a leaf from outside, or give them one.
Glue to popsicle stick. Add eyes!
Note: I have used this in our Family Storytimes or STEM Jr. Kits.
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