Turn Over A New Leaf!

Fall
By Jack Prelutsky

The leaves are yellow, red and brown,
A shower sprinkles softly down
And the air is fragrant, crisp and cool,
And once again, I'm stuck in school.

Every year when the nights start getting cool and leaves begin to turn, I start thinking about leaf collections.  I walk around my neighborhood with Maggie, my 12-year-old beagle, and collect leaves from all of the neighborhood trees.  The next day I bring them to class and teach my kids some leaf basics, like simple and compound, needleleaf (evergreen) and broadleaf (deciduous), and we make rubbings.  This is an old fashioned activity that kids don't get to do nowadays and they love it!  They think it's magic when the shape of a leaf appears through the paper!  

Fall is a great time to learn about trees and the Illinois DNR has published a great little workbook called Illinois Trees.  I have used it with my fourth graders for about ten years now.  I teach them some leaf identifiers, like different edges, pointed and rounded lobes, and even and asymmetrical bases. Then students use a dichotomous key to identify 15 leaves from Illinois trees.  The first time I tried the dichotomous key with 9-year-olds, I thought it would be way too hard for them.  I was so wrong.  Most of the students caught on quickly and had all the leaves identified before the end of the period.  Since then, my classes have all done just as well.  Once in awhile someone will hit a snag, but with a little help from me or a classmate, will quickly get it figured out. 

After they finish with the Leaf Identification booklet, I tell students that we're going to do a leaf collection.  They love the idea.  I have them collect ten leaves, identify, and classify them.  They tape them into a simple booklet that we make in class and we use the leaf rubbings for the cover.  Cute, simple, and easy! You could have them collect any number of leaves, but ten is enough for me.  I mostly want them to get out in the backyard and do some science!

Sometimes there is a leaf that we have a hard time identifying.  There is a great iPad ap called Leaf Snap that lets you take a picture of a leaf and will give you several options to choose from. There are also several leaf identification websites.  If you're an Illinois teacher, the DNR has beautiful leaf posters that students can use to identify their leaves.  And, you can always use a good, old-fashioned book!

I hope next fall you'll have your kiddos give leaf collecting a try!