Let’s Explore the Forest or
Leaf It To Us
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
– John Muir
This week on the farm, we’ll explore the questions:
- What trees grow in the Tollgate forest?
- What trees grow in your yard?
- Why do maple trees make sap and how does it help them survive?
- Why do leaves change color in the fall?
Today, we observe that a forest is made up of many parts and that we can each be a forest friend. Whether you are at home or school, you’ll be able to step outside and collect a variety of specimens from the trees – leaves, twigs, and seeds – to sort and count, and you’ll be able to explore why leaves change color!
Check out our video to learn about the Tollgate forest as we begin our leaf collecting. Make sure to follow along with the journal page here. Once you collect leaves, be sure to press them between the pages of a big, heavy book!
Watch below as Roy Prentice, Tollgate Farm Manager, shares how we make maple syrup from the sap of the maple tree.
You can make a model of a maple seed here.
Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
Why do leaves change color? We’re going to try an experiment to find out. Be sure to check out the journal page with instructions here.
Our class results from the ‘Changing Color of Leaves’
Changing Color of Leaves: Henry’s Results
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt
Ms. Ellen went on a leaf hunt this week and found this great big leaf!
What is your favorite leaf that you found?
Sounds of the Forest Challenge
Help create the first ever soundmap of the world! An organization across the ocean is creating a Sounds of the Forest soundmap and collecting the sounds of forests from around the world. If you’re able, visit your local forest or woodland and record the sounds that you hear for one minute and submit the recording and a photo of those woods to the Sounds of the Forest here.
Leaf Man
Listen to this story called Leaf Man. Can you make a picture out of leaves?
100 Leaf Challenge
This week, we investigated leaves, their colors, shapes, sizes, even the types of edges they have. Some of you may have ranked your leaves by the leaf you liked most to the leaf you liked least. We took time to notice and wonder about the leaves around us. This is what scientists do. They make observations and ask questions. Each of you is a scientist. Can you be an artist and take the 100 Leaf Challenge. Collect 100 leaves and see what you can create with them! Take a photo and send it to us to add to our tree art gallery!