What is happening with trees and leaves as the seasons change?

Created Feb. 6, 2024 by Julie Jarvis

Unit Title

What is happening with trees and leaves as the seasons change?

Grade Level
4K

WMELS Standards Addressed:
V.C.EL.1, V.C.EL.2,V.C.EL.3V.C.EL.4

ELS Standards Addressed:

Wisconsin Standards for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability: ELS.C1.B.e, ELS.C1.C.e, ELS.EX2.B.e, ELS.EX3.B.e, ELS.EX4.A.e, ELS.EX5.B.e

Checklist for Quality

Yes/ No	Criteria
Yes	Does the unit: Engage students physically in exploring, investigating, and manipulating elements in their environment?
Yes	Does the unit: Involve students in asking questions, probing for answers, conducting investigations, collecting and analyzing data?
Yes	Does the unit: Address questions that are relevant to the child?
Yes	Does the unit: Encourage children to engage in science process skills such as predicting, observing, classifying, hypothesizing, experimenting, and communicating?
Yes	Does the unit: Invite students to create, test, and revise theories?
Yes	Does the unit: Provide opportunities for students to share their observations and ideas with peers?

The preceding checklist is provided to assist with reflecting on whether the unit lessons support the development of scientific thinking in young children.

References

Selly, Patty Born. Teaching STEM Outdoors: Activities for Young Children. Redleaf Press, 2017.

Wilson, R. “Promoting the Development of Scientific Thinking.” EarlychildhoodNEWS, www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleId=409%20. Accessed 18 Oct. 2019.

Wisconsin. Early Learning Standards Steering Committee. Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards: with Introduction. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, 2017.

Lesson 1

Learning Targets (As a result of this experience outdoors, the student will know and be able to do): I can describe how some leaves change colors and fall to the ground in the fall. I can sort the leaves based on their color, shape and size.
Success Measures (The student will know they are successful if they can): Students will observe that some leaves change color and fall off of trees in the fall. Students will sort leaves based on their color, size, and shape.
Essential Question: What happens to leaves and trees in the fall?
Big Idea (I want my students to understand that…): Some trees loose their leaves in the fall. The fallen leaves are dead, but the tree is still alive.
Materials Needed: None. Set up ahead of time: None. Children are prepared and will bring outdoors: Dress for the weather.
Connect
Circle-Up/Opening	Teacher	Look out the window to notice how nature is changing. What do you notice, what is different? What has changed? Why do you think things in nature are changing? It is fall. The air is getting colder. Leaves are changing color and some have fallen off trees onto the ground. I wonder what kind of leaves we could find on the ground. How could we find out what kind of leaves are on the ground? We could go outside and collect leaves and then look at them!
Explore
Inquiry What inquiry will students be involved in to develop skills/understanding of the learning target?	All	Transition to outside. Invite students to collect leaves. Everyone collects their own leaves. As a group, select some leaves to take inside using the criteria of “complete leaves that looked like they recently fell” (colorful, flat...not too crinkly- those are not this year’s leaves).		Formative Assessment Student behavior, looking for students participating in collecting leaves and using criteria to select those to bring inside.
Engage
Reflection/Synthesis	All	Inside, lay out leaves on the carpet. Observe how leaves are the same and different. Ask kids to sort leaves based on different characteristics (color, size, shape). After the kids have sorted based on a characteristic, the teacher lines up the leaves to create a bar graph on the ground. Together the teacher and students count how many leaves were in each category. Option to record observations, characteristics and number of leaves. Extensions: Examine leaves in different ways through leaf rubbings and painting. For leaf rubbings, place the leaf vein side up on a table. Place a piece of paper over the leaf. Rub a crayon over the leaf to create an image of the leaf. For painting, paint the vein side of the leaf. Place paper on top of painted leaf and press onto the leaf. Gently lift paper off and turn over to see the leaf print. Encourage students to share what they notice in their prints, what they wonder about their leaf and what their leaf reminds them of.		Formative Assessment: Student engagement in sorting and graphing and their comments during discussion about leaf characteristics. Student engagement in creating leaf prints. Student observations of leaf characteristics.
Review and Closure		Review the learning target-I can describe how some leaves change colors and fall to the ground in the fall. Leaves have different shapes, colors and sizes. I can sort the leaves based on their color, shape and size.

Lesson 2

Learning Targets (As a result of this experience outdoors, the student will know and be able to do): I can use my senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch to notice characteristics about leaves.
Success Measures (The student will know they are successful if they can): Students will use their senses, and magnifying glasses, to make observations about leaves. Students will compare the characteristics of living and dead leaves.
Essential Question: What is happening with leaves and trees in the fall?
Big Idea (I want my students to understand that…): Some trees loose their leaves in the fall. The fallen leaves are dead, but the tree is still alive.
Materials Needed: Number lines, magnifying glasses, clippers (to cut small tree branch) Set up ahead of time: None. Children are prepared and will bring outdoors: Dress for the weather.
Connect
Circle-Up/Opening	Teacher	Sing song about leaves/ fall. Explain that we are going to go outside to collect leaves and then use our senses to notice characteristics about our leaves. Review senses of sight, sound, smell and touch- those are the senses we will be using today to observe color, moisture level (crinkliness), smell and texture. Divide into small groups of four - six students. Each group has one die and a number line. Students take turns rolling the die. Add each roll of the die together - using actual leaves with the number line to practice one-to-one correspondence. Students count UP or ON with each roll of the dice. When every student has had a turn, that is how many leaves the group collects together.
Explore
Inquiry What inquiry will students be involved in to develop skills/understanding of the learning target?	All	In small groups, go outside to collect leaves. Each student collects the number of leaves they counted during number line activity. Together carefully count those leaves and bring them back into the classroom. In addition, the adult with each small group cuts a small branch from a tree with leaves still on it. Students use magnifying glasses to examine the leaves (either outside or inside, depending on weather and student needs). Students will share their noticings about the smell, color, texture and moisture of the leaves. Adult records observations. Students compare what they notice about the fallen leaves with what they notice about those still on the branch.		Formative Assessment Student behavior, looking for students collecting and counting leaves. Student observations and descriptions about the smell, color, texture, and moisture of the living and dead leaves.
Engage
Reflection/Synthesis	All	As a whole group, ask students to share what they noticed about the leaves. Record similarities and differences between the living leaves from the branch and the dead leaves found on the ground.		Formative Assessment Student descriptions about leaves and identification of similarities and differences between leaves found on the ground and on the branch.
Review and Closure		Review the learning target- I can use my senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch to notice things about leaves.

Lesson 3

Learning Targets (As a result of this experience outdoors, the student will know and be able to do):I can collect natural objects and use them to create art.
Success Measures (The student will know they are successful if they can): Students will notice and collect leaves and other bits of nature on the ground in the fall. Students will work with a partner to create art from natural objects that they collect.
Essential Question: What happens to leaves and trees in the fall?
Big Idea (I want my students to understand that…): Some trees loose their leaves in the fall. The fallen leaves are dead, but the tree is still alive.
Materials Needed: Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, images of artwork by Andy Goldsworthy, camera. Set up ahead of time: None Children are prepared and will bring outdoors: Dress for the weather.
Connect
Circle-Up/Opening	Teacher	Read the book "Leaf Man", by Lois Ehlert. Also show images of artwork by Andy Goldworthy to show different ways to create art with natural objects. Explain that today we are going to use things we find in nature to create our own works of art!
Explore
Inquiry What inquiry will students be involved in to develop skills/understanding of the learning target?	All	Students work with a partner outside to collect leaves, sticks, stones and other bits of nature. After collecting, the pairs of students collaborate to create artwork from the leaves and other natural objects.		Formative Assessment Student behavior, looking for students collecting natural objects and creating art from them.
Engage
Reflection/Synthesis	All	Depending on student needs, walk around and look at artwork allowing each pair to share what they made. Teacher takes pictures of each work of art. Alternatively, the class could look at the pictures inside on the promethean board with each pair of students sharing with others what they had made. Ask the students to look closely at each pair’s artwork and ask: What do you notice about this work of art? What do you wonder about it? (What questions do you have about it?) What does it remind you of? Option: send photos home with family newsletter		Formative Assessment Examining one another’s leaf art on the promethean board and discussions/ feedback.
Review and Closure		Review the learning target- I can use things in nature to create art.

Lesson 4

Learning Targets (As a result of this experience outdoors, the student will know and be able to do): I can jump in a pile of leaves. I can appreciate and have fun in fall.
Success Measures (The student will know they are successful if they can): Students will jump in a pile of leaves and have the sensory experience of having leaves all around them.
Essential Question: What is happening to trees and leaves in the fall?
Big Idea (I want my students to understand that…): Some trees loose their leaves in the fall. The fallen leaves are dead, but the tree is still alive.
Materials Needed: small trampoline, pair of large foam dice, rakes or brooms. Set up ahead of time: set up the trampoline outside near lots of fallen leaves. Children are prepared and will bring outdoors: Dress for the weather, bring rakes, brooms and dice outside.
Connect
Circle-Up/Opening	Teacher	Look out the window. Notice that most of the leaves have fallen from the trees. Teach the song “We are raking the leaves”. Explain that today we will go investigate how many leaves have fallen on the ground. We will rake up a big pile of leaves and jump in it!
Explore
Inquiry What inquiry will students be involved in to develop skills/understanding of the learning target?	All	Students use rakes or brooms to make a pile of leaves. Students roll a pair of jumbo dice and add up the numbers. Students jump on a small trampoline the number of jumps that corresponds with that rolled amount on the dice. With the final jump, they jump in a pile of leaves! Sit with kids in the leaves. Ask them how many leaves they think are in the pile that they jumped in. Think out loud how it is difficult to guess, to estimate, how many are in the big pile. Suggest that they might be able to estimate how many leaves are in a smaller pile. Collect a smaller pile and ask them to guess again. Count how many leaves are in that pile and compare more/ fewer than their guesses. Ask if there would be more or fewer leaves in the big pile. More! Lots more! And how many in the whole playground? So many more!		Formative Assessment Student behavior, looking for participating in raking, jumping and counting.

Reflection/Synthesis	All	How was it raking up the leaves? What about jumping into the pile of leaves? For many people, jumping in leaves is a way to enjoy fall. What other things do you like about fall?		Formative Assessment Student discussions about their experience and what they like about/ to do in the fall.
Review and Closure		Review the learning target- I can jump in a pile of leaves. I can appreciate nature and have fun in the fall.

Lesson 5

Learning Targets (As a result of this experience outdoors, the student will know and be able to do): I can tell the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees. I know that evergreen trees keep their leaves in the winter and deciduous trees lose theirs.
Success Measures (The student will know they are successful if they can): Students will learn the words deciduous and evergreen by defining their meaning and finding examples of each on school grounds.
Essential Question: What is happening to trees and leaves in the fall?
Big Idea (I want my students to understand that…): Trees are different. Some trees keep their leaves during the winter. They are called evergreens. Some trees lose their leaves in the fall. They are called deciduous. Trees also have different shaped leaves. Some of them are even shaped like needles. Most trees with needle shaped leaves keep their leaves during the winter.
Materials Needed: School grounds or neighborhood walk with evergreen and deciduous trees, megaphone Set up ahead of time: None Children are prepared and will bring outdoors: Dress for the weather
Connect
Circle-Up/Opening	Teacher	Watch Deciduous Trees with Ken Jeong and Elmo. Ask students if there are coniferous or deciduous or BOTH on our school grounds? How do we know? We will be playing a game called Evergreen - Deciduous. (Do those words have the same number of beats/syllables? Do they start with the same letter?)
Explore
Inquiry What inquiry will students be involved in to develop skills/understanding of the learning target?	All	Pass out a pine cone or an acorn to each student. Ask students to find the friends who are holding the same object that they are? What kind of trees do these seeds come from? Invite students to go outside and find out if they are not sure. Children explore pine cones underneath a pine tree and acorns underneath a nearby oak tree. Ask students what is the same and what is different with these trees?		Formative Assessment Student behavior, looking for students searching for the corresponding tree.
Engage
Reflection/Synthesis	All	Students line up on the sidewalk (or within a designated space between various trees). Take turns inviting one student at a time to walk up to the megaphone and say EVERGREEN or DECIDUOUS. The rest of the class has to run to that particular tree. Return to the sidewalk. Repeat. (Alternative: If both of these types of trees are not available, this game could be played with an assortment of leaves, needles, seeds and gymnosperms where students could run back and forth selecting a specific item from a deciduous or evergreen tree.)		Formative Assessment Student language and comprehension correlating to which tree they choose to run to for which word they hear
Review and Closure		Review the learning target- I know deciduous trees lose their leaves. I know most evergreen trees have needles that do not fall off of the trees during the winter time.

UNIT SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: In their journals, students draw what they know and/ or like about fall.

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