Why do leaves change

colours?
Curriculum expectations: 1.7 Use specialized vocabulary for a variety of
purposes. Ex chlorophyll
6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific
process involved.
Ex. Leaves change because of lack of chlorophyll.
Learning goal: Students understand why leaves change colors
Students know the word Chlorophyll

Minds on:
8:50am : Use white paper and draw a leaf.
Show students leaves with different colors
Explain that:

Leaves need sunlight, air, water, and chlorophyll to make food for the tree.

Chlorophyll is the green color in leaves during the spring/summer. The green
pigment hides the other colors in the leaf.

Leaves get less light each day in the fall and stop making food to prepare for
the winter.

The chlorophyll (green color) fades and other colors (mainly

red/yellow/orange/tan) in the leaves begin to show.
Present a Maple leaf scratch and reveal activity
Materials needed:
- Maple leaf template (It is printed)
A coin for rubbing (I have one)
- Orange/yellow/red/green crayons.

After drawing and coloring the leaf, using a coin, invite the children to
scratch off the green crayon to reveal the leaf color(s) underneath.
Remind the children that as the green color (the chlorophyll) fades, the
beautiful fall colors in the leaf are revealed.

Action:
9:15am EXCAVATING FALL LEAVES

The leaf sugar tray is another way to explore the concept of chlorophyll fading from
fall leaves to expose other colors.
Materials needed: Green Sugar (to make your own, rub green chalk into sugar or
sand on a paper plate), a paintbrush, 5 large trays , 5 red, 3green and 4 yellow
leaves (cut out) for each table

Set all of the fall leaves out on a large tray. Cover the leaves with green sugar or
green sand. Give the children a paintbrush and have them gently excavate to
find the various colored leaves under the sugar. Remind the children that the green
sugar/sand is like the chlorophyll (green pigment) in leaves. In the fall as the days
get shorter, the chlorophyll fades (they brush it off) and the other colors in the
leaves will appear.

Consolidation:

Materials needed: One graphing printable

(linked here Fall Leaf Graphing in Preschool),
Crayons: red, green and yellow.

After excavating leaves from the sugar tray, invite the children to sort their
leaves by color and count the number of each. The children can color one
box on the printable for each leaf of the corresponding colors they found in
the sugar tray

Look, Guess, Check

1:10- 1:30
Learning Goal: Sort a collection, create and interpret a 2 column concrete
graph
Outcomes: Students learn to sort and graph SIZE
Vocabulary: More, less, as many as
Materials: Blocks (big and small)
Manipulatives
Method: Have students sit in a circle. Place blocks in the columns: big and
small. Ask students if there are more big blocks or small blocks. Ask them
how they know. Use graphing mat to find out. Have students place each
block in their graph and record the number.

2:30 - 2:50pm
Seat work:
Use the handout I sorted by stating size and have students draw the
objects they sorted through the use of manipulatives.

Name: ____________________
I sorted by:________________________