AUTUMN LEAVES

Level: Grade 3 or 4
Subject Area: science
Objective: The students will make a chart that lists trees with the colors their leaves change to in autumn. The students will make hypotheses and answer questions about trees in photographs. The students will send an e-mail to a friend describing what autumn is like in their town.

Procedure:
1. Read "Why Leaves Change Color in Fall" at www.waterw.com/~science/october.html/ (stop reading when you reach "Fun Fact"). Then read "Why Leaves Change Color" at www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm/. What information is given in both sites? What information is given in one site and not the other?
Make a two column chart with the name of the trees mentioned in the left hand column and the colors that their leaves change to in the right column. Also include trees mentioned that remain green and keep their leaves throughout the year.

2. Using the chart you created, go to the following sites and make a hypothesis as to what kind of trees are in the picture specified.

New England Foliage(swissnet.ai.mit.edu/photo/travel/foliage.html) -picture labeled "Franconia Notch"
Autumn in West Virginia(www.neumedia.net/~horizon/photos/autumn/autumn.htm) -third picture from the top
Autumn in Alaska(www.alaska.net/~design/scenes/autumn/autumn.html-scroll through the pictures. Do leaves change color in Alaska? Refer to the trees in your chart that don't change color in autumn. Do they appear to be present here?
The Four Seasons in Maine(www.ume.maine.edu/~iei/seasons.html) -go to the picture labeled "Fall" Is this the beginning or the end of autumn? Why? Also, why would it be difficult to find an autumn picture of a southern state, like Florida or Arizona?

3.Answer these questions in the form of a letter and e-mail it to your teacher and a friend or a relative who lives somewhere else in the country:

What is autumn like in your town? What kinds of trees are in your area? Do the leaves change colors and fall off the trees? What colors do you see? What are your favorite activities in autumn? What you like about autumn? What don't you like about autumn?