My Leaf Science

What you need:

A "special" leaf for each child

Small bag or basket

Magnifying glass

What you do:

Hand out a basket or a small bag labeled with the children's name to each child. Take your children on a neighborhood walk. As you walk, ask children to look for large and small "special, most beautiful leaves." Encourage children to find their "special" leaf and have him/her pick it up and carefully put it in their bag or basket.

When you return to the classroom, have children put their leaves in the baskets or bags on a table with the My Leaf Recording Sheets. Set out several magnifying glasses. Encourage children to look carefully at their leaves, using the magnifying glasses.

Ask children to describe his or her leaf. What color is it? What shape is it? What do the veins look like? Do there appear to be holes on the surface?

Ask children to measure the length and width of their leaves with unicubes.

Encourage children to draw their leaf on the My Leaf Recording Sheet, paying close attention to the veins of the leaf. Let children use a magnifying glass to look at the veins of the leaves. Point out that the veins are the circulatory system of the plant, much like the veins in our own body that can be seen on the backs of our hands and the tops of our feet. Explain that the veins carry food to the plant.

Preschool Activities:

Media Root

Let children record their leaf on the My Leaf Recording Sheet.

Preschool Activities:

Media Root

My Leaf Artwork

Let children trace around their leaf with a pencil. Next, let them use a Sharpie marker to trace the pencil marks and draw the veins on the leaf. Last, have them color the leaf with water colors to look like the real leaf.