Thisleaf scienceis the perfect EASY science experiment for September, October, and November.
Have you ever wondered why they change colors or why those colors?
There is something refreshing about fall from the crisp air to the magical colors that fill the horizons.
This week as the leaves in our front yard began to change color the kids became filled with questions.
This science experiment to discoverWhy Leaves Change Colorwas the perfect solution for their curious minds.
Plants are responsible for creating the oxygen that we breathe.
They do this by absorbing water from the ground and carbon dioxide from the air.
Using sunlight (through photosynthesis) they turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose.
Oxygen is what we need to breathe and glucose is what the plant uses to grow.
The term photosynthesis means putting together with light.
The chemical that plants use to make photosynthesis is chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is the same chemical that gives plants their green color.
We like to take a fun nature walk, enjoying nature, and collecting fall treasures along the way.
take a stab at collect a variety of fall colored leaves.
Now, sort the fall leaves into containers by color.
The sorted cover leaves should then be ground up or torn into pieces.
What makes leaves green
You will immediately be able to see the coffee filters absorb the liquid.
As they shut down for the winter, the green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves.
As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors.
Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along.
affect the colors you will see in the chromatography.
Leaf experiment
This is an experiment that is pretty fascinating no matter your childs age.
Now see what colors theywill bein the fall when the chlorophyll stops being produced.
YOu will get green with yellow or green with red/mauve, etc.
This is truly a WOW teachable moment!
As the liquid travels up the coffee filter it separates all the colors that were inside the leaf.
Leaf Crafts for Kids
Looking for more fun fall craft projects?
