Children love trees. Their size and multitude of shapes are a wonder for them to explore (and climb when the opportunity presents itself!) Last week we learned how important trees are to us. This week we look at the life of a tree over the four seasons of a year. Chlorophyll is the pigment that keeps the leaves green in summer. It is important to the leaf’s production of sugars that are the tree's source of food. With autumn comes the flowing sap in Maples that makes maple syrup for pancakes. Also in the fall, the tree's leaves slowly stop making the chlorophyll and the natural yellow, orange and red pigments in the leaves begin to show.
In winter the leaves fall to the ground as the tree becomes nearly dormant, "sleeping" through the winter.
We also look at the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees. Perhaps there is a tree in your neighborhood that you can observe over the course of a year. It is interesting to see God's design for the different varieties of trees and how they adapt to the seasons.
We finish our woodworking projects this week by painting them. The kids have great fun with this, but are learning just the same. The projects will stay at school to dry and be ready to bring home next week.
Books we Read: Why Do Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro
Next Week: The Christmas Star
No comments:
Post a Comment