SUPER FAB LAB INVESTIGATION:
Leaf Investigators
Episode: Don’t Forget the Leaves
Cycle: Backyard Science
Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn)
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In this investigation, we gather all kinds of leaves. We use lots of great adjectives
to describe the leaves we are observing.
We use our categorization skills to sort the leaves by shape, color, and size.
Materials (The Stuff We Need)
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Leaves that we gather
Small bags for leaves
Magnifying glasses (optional)
Procedure (What to Do)
1. Talk to children about the leaves that are okay to pick. (You might limit them
to leaves on the ground or leaves from large plants that won't be damaged by
losing a leaf or two.)
2. Encourage children to try to find leaves that are different shapes, sizes,
and colors.
3. When children have gathered their leaves, bring them back together to
observe what everyone found. Have each child choose a leaf to describe.
What color is it? Can you describe the shape? Is it pointy? Round? How does
it feel? Is it smooth? Bumpy? Rough?
4. Sort the leaves by color. (You might choose a smaller group of leaves if
children have collected a lot of them.) Now re-sort the leaves by size. Can
you think of other ways to sort them?
5. Don't forget to wash your hands when you are done observing the leaves.
Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do
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In addition to sorting leaves, you can practice math skills by making patterns with the
leaves (such as green, brown, green, brown) or by arranging them from smallest to
largest. Can you think of more patterns to make with the leaves?
This is a great journaling activity. Children can draw their favorite leaves, and adults
can write down kids' descriptions.
Choose a few leaves to investigate further. Do research using books or the Internet
to identify your leaves.