Leaf Study
Leaf Study
Approximate Time Frame: 1-2 hours
Activity: WONDER
Area of Learning: Creative Expression, Numeracy, Chemistry, Literacy
“ Let’s take a closer look at leaves. What do they look like in detail? Do they come in different shapes, shades, and sizes?”
Take some time to explore the falling leaves outdoors. Find a park or area where different coloured foliage can be found. Gather and explore. You’ll be turning into scientists by making some leaf rubbings and measuring leaves.
Process
1. Discuss what sort of leaves you see on the ground or in the trees. Are there different sizes and colours?
2. Go on a nature walk. Don’t forget your materials.
3.Forage and gather different leaves that you see. Store them in your exploration backpack or a small basket as you go.
4. Collect approximately a dozen leaves and find a spot such as a picnic bench or a patch of grass where you can work.
5. Spread out all of the leaves you’ve found and talk about what you see.
LEAF RUBBING
Pick a leaf.
Flip it over so that the stem and veins showing.
Put your paper on top of it.
Take your crayon and gently rub over where the leaf is laying below the paper. You will want to turn your crayon so that you are holding it horizontally.
You should see the outline and veins of the leaf show up on your paper!
LEAF MEASUREMENTS
After completing your leaf rubbings, spread your leaves around you so that you can see them all
You can choose to sort the leaves by color, shape or size. Play with those ideas. Which is bigger? Which is smaller? Which are different? Which are the same?
If you have your ruler, you can measure the leaves the put them in order from smallest to largest and vice versa.
What other non-standard materials can you use to measure? A stick? A pinecone?
Materials
Exploration backpack
Ruler or a string with a marker
Small pieces of paper, the size of your palm (10 or so) OR one large piece of paper
Pencil or Marker
Crayons (fall colours)
small flat surface like a clipboard/cardboard
child role
Help gather your exploration bag, putting all of the items you will need inside. Go for a walk.
Look at the leaves you see. What do you notice about them? What do they they looks like? Feel like?
Help gather leaves. Remember to find ones that look different than others!
Help spread the leaves and notice what one side feels like, and what the other side feels like. What do you notice?
Using your string or ruler, learn from your adult how to measure and record the size of your leaves. What do you notice?
Think about what else you can do with your leaves?
Parent role
Help locate and gather materials with your child
Discuss, in general what you’ll be doing.
Encourage them to describe their observations of the leaves using descriptive words.
Let them explore, forage and gather on their own while you supervise
Help them with their first leaf rubbing (technique and pressure)
Continue conversation about what they observe as you make the leaf rubbings
Help with showing your child how to measure and compare the size of leaves.
Have them order them and decide if it’s bigger or smaller than the previous leaf.
Explore and discover what else you can do with the leaves? Can you make an art piece out of it?
