Fall Leaf Lessons
The changing foliage during the fall months is a spectacular sight to witness. Help your students understand the scientific aspects of this transitional process with a variety of activities spanning across several different subject areas. As children have different strengths and weaknesses, use these different angles to ensure that each child is able to absorb the learning material.
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Science Experiments
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Use the changing colors of the leaves as an opportunity to experiment with chromatography in the classroom. Have the students tear up autumn leaves from several different trees, placing the bits into jars and labeling the type and location of the tree from which each leaf came. Use rubbing alcohol to cover the leaves, and then have the students mash the leaves around with a plastic utensil such as a spoon. The students should cover the jars loosely, then place them in about an inch of shallow hot tap water, and then after about a half hour, remove the jars from the water. Uncover the jars, place coffee filter strips inside, and after 30 to 90 minutes, have the kids record the colors that have separated onto the filters.
Reading and Writing Activities
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Boost students' literacy skills with a few foliage-themed activities. For instance, encourage students to do a book report on a book, fictional or non, involving the autumn leaves. Get students thinking about adjectives by having them create original compositions about the details of the leaves they see outside. Introduce them to various styles of poetry; having them write a haiku would be quite appropriate considering the falling leaves topic is one that concerns the tranquility of nature.
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Outdoor Exploration
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It would be difficult to discuss the changing autumn leaves and not take at least a short trip outside to examine the trees up close. On a seasonable day, take the class on a nature hike around the school grounds or to a nearby park or forest. Bring along some containers to collect leaf specimens that students find during the hike; bring these back to the classroom to make a formal collection book or simply mount the leaves around the classroom for a festive touch.
Math Problems
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The fall leaves can be a source of inspiration for a set of seasonal math problems. If you teach younger children, use real leaf specimens as counters to help demonstrate basic math concepts like addition and subtraction. You also can have them work on their estimation skills by trying to guess how many leaves are on a tree. For older students, compile some more complex word problems for them to work out in class or have them do specific calculations to find the surface area of a found leaf specimen.
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References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
