The end of summer means so many things. It means the beginning of a new and exciting school year. It means fewer daylight hours. It also means that some trees lose their leaves, and you can stomp through the piles of crunchy leaves. However, before the leaves fall off trees, they change colors.
Have you ever wondered why some leaves change colors in the fall? The leaves change colors because there is less sunlight for plants. Plants have a substance called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes leaves green. Chlorophyll helps plants use sunlight to make energy in a process called photosynthesis. When there’s less sunlight, leaves stop making chlorophyll and the green color fades. The leaves then turn red, orange, and yellow.
After the leaves change colors, they fall off. Trees lose their leaves to save energy during winter. This also gives you a chance to play in the leaves!
What Do You Think? What’s your favorite part of fall?
Reading Response Click on this link to respond to your reading. Print out the response page or upload it to your classroom site.
Photo Credit: Carlos E. Santa Maria/Shutterstock
