Homeschool Tip: Leaf Detectives
First posted on: Oct 4, 2006
Now that we are in the fall season and leaf color is peaking in some
areas, here is an activity for your younger children. This article
is from the Science e-newsletter by This Old Homeschool Magazine.
Leaf Detectives - An activity for younger homeschoolers
By Steve Walden
Leaves come in all shapes, sizes, and colors in fall. Each leaf is
like a fingerprint, indicating the identity of the tree that dropped
it. Time to break out the magnifying glass and hunt down the clues!
You will need:
• A notepad
• 5 to 10 sandwich bags
• Tape and a marker for labeling the bags
• A magnifying glass
• A book or online resource for tree identification (Your local
library should have
at least one book on dendrology, the study of identifying
trees.)
If you want to get into it, you can even improvise a Sherlock
Holmes "deer hunter" cap by taking two baseball caps and putting one
on backwards and the other straight. Going all out means getting a
cape and pipe, but it's not required for your leaf sleuthing.
Next, head out with the kids and explore areas of your neighborhood
as leaves begin changing color. Search high and low for good clues
and collect them in your evidence bags. Be sure to note the location
of each tree on your pad and number the bag with a 1 for the first
tree, and so on. Note also anything about the tree's
characteristics, such as whether the leaves are staggered or
opposite each other on the branch. After you have at least three to
five bags with leaf samples, it's time to head back to the "leaf
lab" at home to find out the true identity of the trees.
Compare the leaves and your notes with what you find in the book or
resource. Is it a sugar maple or a red maple, a willow or a locust?
Label the bags with the names for the ones you have correct. It may
take a trip back to the scene of one or two trees to find out the
tree's true identity. Once you have the right tree, congratulations!
You've solved the identity of the mystery trees!
**********************************************
**********************************************
We are so blessed to have some of the "BEST" and "most
creative" Homeschool MOMS around, right here at BSHS.
Your experience can be the key to helping that other
struggling Homeschool Mom today. Do you have a tip to
share today? We would love to hear from you!
**********************************************
To reply to this tip or participate in other
conversations with fellow homeschool moms who live
with chronic illness or pain, please visit the School
Room and other rooms of our BSHS House message board
at
http://p211.ezboard.com/f...dsurvivinghomeschoolfrm6
Do you have a tip you'd like to share? I'd love to
have your submission!
Please send it to me at:
bshs_leadership@yahoo.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rest Ministries - Beyond Surviving Homeschool
http://www.restministries.org/life/homeschool.htm
888-751-REST (7378)
Join in the discussions at the Message Board:
http://beyondsurvivinghomeschool.yuku.com/
Then visit Rest Ministries' new Discussion Forum called "BSHS Sunroom"
http://restministriessunr...ndSurvivingHomeschooling
Receive mailings from the Yahoo Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/g...nd_surviving_homeschool/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
First posted on: Oct 4, 2006
Now that we are in the fall season and leaf color is peaking in some
areas, here is an activity for your younger children. This article
is from the Science e-newsletter by This Old Homeschool Magazine.
Leaf Detectives - An activity for younger homeschoolers
By Steve Walden
Leaves come in all shapes, sizes, and colors in fall. Each leaf is
like a fingerprint, indicating the identity of the tree that dropped
it. Time to break out the magnifying glass and hunt down the clues!
You will need:
• A notepad
• 5 to 10 sandwich bags
• Tape and a marker for labeling the bags
• A magnifying glass
• A book or online resource for tree identification (Your local
library should have
at least one book on dendrology, the study of identifying
trees.)
If you want to get into it, you can even improvise a Sherlock
Holmes "deer hunter" cap by taking two baseball caps and putting one
on backwards and the other straight. Going all out means getting a
cape and pipe, but it's not required for your leaf sleuthing.
Next, head out with the kids and explore areas of your neighborhood
as leaves begin changing color. Search high and low for good clues
and collect them in your evidence bags. Be sure to note the location
of each tree on your pad and number the bag with a 1 for the first
tree, and so on. Note also anything about the tree's
characteristics, such as whether the leaves are staggered or
opposite each other on the branch. After you have at least three to
five bags with leaf samples, it's time to head back to the "leaf
lab" at home to find out the true identity of the trees.
Compare the leaves and your notes with what you find in the book or
resource. Is it a sugar maple or a red maple, a willow or a locust?
Label the bags with the names for the ones you have correct. It may
take a trip back to the scene of one or two trees to find out the
tree's true identity. Once you have the right tree, congratulations!
You've solved the identity of the mystery trees!
**********************************************
**********************************************
We are so blessed to have some of the "BEST" and "most
creative" Homeschool MOMS around, right here at BSHS.
Your experience can be the key to helping that other
struggling Homeschool Mom today. Do you have a tip to
share today? We would love to hear from you!
**********************************************
To reply to this tip or participate in other
conversations with fellow homeschool moms who live
with chronic illness or pain, please visit the School
Room and other rooms of our BSHS House message board
at
http://p211.ezboard.com/f...dsurvivinghomeschoolfrm6
Do you have a tip you'd like to share? I'd love to
have your submission!
Please send it to me at:
bshs_leadership@yahoo.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rest Ministries - Beyond Surviving Homeschool
http://www.restministries.org/life/homeschool.htm
888-751-REST (7378)
Join in the discussions at the Message Board:
http://beyondsurvivinghomeschool.yuku.com/
Then visit Rest Ministries' new Discussion Forum called "BSHS Sunroom"
http://restministriessunr...ndSurvivingHomeschooling
Receive mailings from the Yahoo Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/g...nd_surviving_homeschool/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
