A changing of color

Background

The autumnal equinox will be on September 22 this year and we’ll see that the hours of daylight and nighttime are equal.

Soon we will notice the grand colors of trees and shrubs as their food supply begins to slow and get stored in the roots. During the growing season, the leaves of deciduous trees have both chlorophyll (the green color that is necessary for the plant to use sunlight to manufacture sugars for their food) and carotenoids (which produce yellow, orange and brown colors). Anthocyanin is another pigment of color that gives us the reds. The vibrant colors of fall depend on the type of tree, the amount of rain, the daytime and nighttime temperatures, and where you live. The leaves are delicate and cannot withstand the cold, harshness of winter and as the sugars within the leaf cells are used up or stored in the roots, the green color fades and in time the leaf falls to the ground.

What about our conifer trees, those cone-bearing trees? Conifers are called evergreen trees as they stay green all year long. They will shed their needles over a period of time, but they do not lose them all at once. If you walk through a pine grove, you will find layers of their leaves (needles). Conifer trees have a special substance found in their sap that works like antifreeze by protecting the cells in the tree needles as the temps drop.

Vocab to introduce

  • Chlorophyll
  • Carotenoids
  • Anthocyanin
  • Deciduous
  • Conifer

Involve your children!

  • Once leaves have started falling, lie down under a tree and watch the leaves tumble to the ground.
  • Make leaf and bark rubbings. When done, return the leaves outside as they make food for the soil.
  • Sing this song with your children to the tune of ‘The Wheels on the Bus!’ You could give your students rakes, to rake together a pile of leaves while singing this song.

The Leaves On The Trees Are Falling Down

The leaves on the trees are falling down,
Falling down,
Falling down,
The leaves on the trees are falling down,
All around the town!

  • Have each child pick a leaf from the ground, study it for a minute or so, use a hand lens, look for evidence of insects or other animals, even smell the leaf. Then have all the children put their leaves in a bag. Shake, shake, shake the bag and dump out in the center of the children. The children should use their detective skills to find their leaf!
    • Sort all the students’ leaves into like groups and then build a graph using the leaves.

Suggested Books from KinderNature Book List

  • We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt, Steve Metzger
  • The Busy Tree, Jennifer Ward
  • Little Owl’s Night, Divya Srinivasan
  • Leaves, Vijaya Khisty Bodach
  • I Am a Leaf, J. Marzollo
  • The Autumn Marathon, D. Desjardens
  • Autumn Leaves, K. Robbins
  • Why Do Leaves Change Color, B. Maestro and L. Krupinski
  • Fall Leaves Fall!, Z. Hall
  • Leaf Man, Lois Ehlert
  • The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein

Related KinderNature Activities

Family Connection

  • Read stories about autumn.
  • Eat tree fruits like apples, oranges, or pears.
  • Collect one leaf from each tree in your yard or near where you live. Make leaf rubbings or each or press each leaf to save. Research what kind of tree leaf each one is.

Helpful Links

Celebrations and Important Dates Upcoming 

Upcoming Events 

  • Blank Park Zoo, Biomimicry and Inspiration – October 2 and 3 at The Blank Park Zoo.
  • Blank Park Zoo, Patterns in Nature – November 13 and 14 at The Blank Park Zoo.
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