Science Sunday - Leaves!

We have had some gorgeous Fall weather here in Georgia the past couple weeks!

Sure it's a bit chilly in the mornings, but by 11 it's perfect for a crisp walk through the woods.

We've started just about every school day this week with a Nature Walk.  It's been a great way to get focused and get some extra energy out.  Not to mention I know this weather is short lived, so we'd better enjoy it while we can!

And there's nothing sweeter then holding hands with a mini man in the woods.  It's soothing to the soul.

Josie loves to take a bag out with her and collect things.  

The first couple days we collected trash along the path and the road in front of our house.  Once that was done we moved on to collecting leaves.

I currently have 2 Target bags FULL of leaves in my dining room.  So when I came across this Leaf Graphing Sheet on Pinterest, I knew it was right up our alley!

We sorted the leaves by color and then graphed them.

Oh, how I love things sorted by color!

And to make this count as a math activity AND a science one, I told her about why the leaves change color.  

Do you know why?

I didn't until I looked it up that day!

It has to do with the days getting shorter and the trees knowing it's time to get ready for winter.  Chlorophyll production stops which makes them quit being so green.  The red leaves happen when the cold air turns the glucose trapped in the leaf after photosynthesis stops for the Winter.  Brown leaves are brown because of the waste trapped in the leaf.  The other colors are a mix between the two.  All those colors were there all Summer long but the green was so much brighter you couldn't see them!

Interesting, huh?!?!

Click Here to read the more official answer!