Autumn Leaves

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Did you know that little CELLS in a tree leaf work hard in the sunshine and heat of summer, making food for its tree? As sunlight and TEMPERATURE decrease in Fall, the leaves stop the production of food and eventually fade in color and strength as the season progresses. Every autumn, we are greeted with a gentle dance in the trees that captures our gaze and then loses our attention as Fall fades to Winter. We love Fall and AUTUMN leaves in the Mid-Atlantic United States!

What are we talking about today? LEAVES
What works hard in a tree leaf to produce food? CELLS
Sunshine and ________ help little cells in a leaf make food for its tree. TEMPERATURE
What happens when sunlight and temperature decrease in the fall and leaves stop making food? FADE IN COLOR AND STRENGTH

The little cells in a tree leaf are filled with CHLOROPHYLL, which gives a leaf its green color. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight, the energy it uses to transform CARBON DIOXIDE and water into CARBOHYDRATES like starch and sugar. This feeds the tree! Green is not the only color on a leaf; it is just the dominant one during the production of food. Leaves also contain yellow CAROTENE and orange XANTHOPHYLL colors.

What chemical is found in the little cells of a tree leaf? CHLOROPHYLL
What does chlorophyll absorb and use as energy? SUNLIGHT
What food does the leaf produce for the tree? CARBOHYDRATES
Leaves also contain the color yellow ________. CAROTENE
Leaves also contain the color _________ xanthophyll. ORANGE

When fall hits with a change in temperature and length of daylight, leaves stop making food. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color of a leaf begins to fade. Eventually, the yellow and orange colors become visible and produce a beautiful show in our trees! Sometimes a chemical called red ANTHOCYANIN is then produced, which creates red and purple leaves. DOGWOOD and SUMAC trees can feature bright red and deep purple leaves. MAPLES are often at their peak in brilliant orange color. MAPLES trees generally fade to shades of brown. Variation in color is a product of how much chlorophyll remains in the leaf throughout fall.

What two things happen in the fall that causes a tree to stop making food? LEAVES STOP MAKING FOOD. THE GREEN COLOR OF A LEAF BEGINS TO FADE
_____ Anthocyanin is produced to create red and purple leaves. RED
Name a tree mentioned that features red and purple leaves. DOGWOOD, SUMAC
Name a tree that features orange leaves. MAPLES
Name a tree that features shades of brown on its fall leaves.
What determines variation in fall leaf color? OAK

So what determines the intensity or depth of color in a fall leaf? Water supply, temperature, and light determine how deep the color will be and how long the fall color will stick last. Rainy, overcast weather can intensify the BRILLIANCE of any fall leaf! Low temperatures above freezing will produce a bright orange/red maple leaf. If our first FROST arrives too soon, the color of all fall leaves will be weakened.

Name one of the three things that determine the intensity or depth of color in a fall leaf. WATER, TEMPERATURE, LIGHT
Low temperatures that remain above freezing produce a bright orange/red leaf on what kind of tree? MAPLE
What will happen if our first frost arrives too soon? color of all fall leaves will be weakened
Why do you think rainy/overcast days intensify the color of any fall leaf?

So what kind of trees have leaves that change color in the fall? DECIDUOUS trees and SHRUBS lose their leaves seasonally. In fact, deciduous means “falling off at MATURITY” or “tending to fall off.” Trees that lose their leaves include maple, oak, ELM, ASPEN, and BIRCH. Shrubs that lose their leaves include HONEYSUCKLE, POISON IVY, and VIRGINIA CREEPER.

What kind of trees have leaves that change color in the Fall? DECIDUOUS
What does deciduous mean? lose their leaves seasonally; falling off at MATURITY; tending to fall off
Name two trees that experience a change in Fall. MAPLE, OAK, ELM, ASPEN, BIRCH
Name two shrubs that experience a change in Fall. HONEYSUCKLE, POISON IVY, VIRGINIA CREEPER.

Not all trees lose their leaves. Most CONIFER trees found in the North and South are EVERGREEN. Conifer trees include PINE, SPRUCE, FIR, and CEDAR trees. Evergreen trees have needle or scale-like leaves that remain green year-round. Evergreen trees usually keep their leaves or needles for 2 to 4 years.

What kind of tree does not experience a change in color or falling leaves? EVERGREEN
Name at least two kinds of conifer trees. PINE, SPRUCE, FIR, CEDAR
Describe an evergreen tree leaf. Have needle or scale-like leaves that remain green year-round, usually keep their leaves or needles
How long can an evergreen keep its leaves or needles? 2 to 4 YEARS

CREATIVE WRITING:
The best time to enjoy autumn, and brilliant fall leaves, is on a clear, dry, and cool day (but not freezing) day. Tell me about an activity you would like to do with your family before autumn leaves begin to fall to the ground.