HS Trees and Leaves

Interest Area Changes to Environment

Fake Leaves 

Real Leaves 

Bark 

Twigs 

Magnify Glass 

Child Size Rake 

Garden Gloves 

Overalls 

Basket 

Fall Color Tissue Paper, Paint, Construction Paper 

Empty Tree Seed Packets

Teaching Concepts for Large Group

1. Do all trees look the same? * Have pictures to show examples 

2. What makes tree’s so special? *  Talk about how they give us food, air (oxygen) to breath,  they are homes for many animals, we use them for building our homes and for wood to build other things, to make paper products, and they are pretty and fun to climb. 

3. Have different leaves to show: *  Are they always green?  When do they change color?  What colors do they change to?  Do all the trees have leaves that change? (no evergreens are always green) Have a variety of leaves for the kids to look at point out how all the trees are alike because they have roots, bark, branches, trunks, leaves, yet they are all different, different sizes, different colors of bark, leaves, different shapes, kind of like people… and isn’t it wonderful how we are all the same but different! 

4. How do plants make their own food? *  They take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. They turn water and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen. Oxygen is a gas in the air that we need to breathe. 

5. How do leaves change color? *  Some leaves turn red. This color is made in the fall, from food trapped in the leaves. Brown colors are also made in the fall. They come from wastes left in the leaves.

Teaching Concepts for Small Group

1. Sort leaves-  Use real leaves or make some different colored leaves out of construction paper. You could also make up a few leafless trees each labeled a different color for the kids to sort the leaves and place on the correctly labeled tree. 

2. Leaf Creatures- Have a bunch of leaves out for kids to make leaf creature pictures if they want by gluing them to construction paper. 

3. Sponge Painted Trees- Give children small square sponges clipped to a clothes pin and let them sponge paint leaves all over a tree trunk that is already drawn on a piece of paper. 

4. Leaf Print Pictures- Let the children dip leaves in the paint and press them on the construction paper to make different leaf prints. 

5. Measure different leaf sizes.

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1. Leaf Dancing- Play some classical music and invite the children to pretend to be falling leaves and move to the music. Give each child a fake leaf to hold and move as they dance. 

2.  The Leaves Tune: The Wheels on the Bus Form a circle. Give each child 1 laminated red leaf and 1 laminated orange leaf with a long yarn stem tied on. 

For the first verse, hold one leaf in each hand raise the color leaf as you sing it. 

The leaves on the trees turn orange and red Orange and red, orange and red, 

The leaves on the trees turn orange and red 

All around the town.

Stand up for the next verse – still holding the leaves. Make your leaves tumble to the floor without letting go of the yarn stem. 

The leaves of the tree come tumbling down, Tumbling down, tumbling down, 

The leaves of the tree come tumbling down, 

All around the town.

 For this verse swish our leaves across the floor. 

The leaves of the trees go swish, swish, swish, Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, 

The leaves of the trees go swish, swish, swish 

All around the town. 

For this verse gently drop your leaves into the middle of the circle and jump in place. 

We’ll rake them in a pile and jump right in! 

Jump right in, Jump right in! 

We’ll rake them in a pile and jump right in!

All around the town. 

3.  The Green Grass Grows All Around 

There was a tree (there was a tree) 

All in the wood (all in the wood) 

The prettiest tree (the prettiest tree) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The tree in a hole and the hole in the ground And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around 

And on that tree (and on that tree) 

There was a limb (there was a limb) 

The prettiest limb (the prettiest limb) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And on that limb (and on that limb) 

There was a branch (there was a branch) 

The prettiest branch (the prettiest branch) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, And the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And on that branch (and on that branch) T

here was a nest (there was a nest) 

The prettiest nest (the prettiest nest) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The nest on the branch, and the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And in that nest (and in that nest) 

There was an egg (there was an egg) 

The prettiest egg (the prettiest egg) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The egg in the nest, and the nest on the branch, And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, And the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And in that egg (and in that egg) 

There was a bird (there was a bird) 

The prettiest bird (the prettiest bird) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, And the nest on the branch, and the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And on that bird (and on that bird) 

There was a wing (there was a wing) 

The prettiest wing (the prettiest wing) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, And the egg in the nest, and the nest on the branch, And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, And the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And on that wing (and on that wing) 

There was a feather (there was a feather) 

The prettiest feather (the prettiest feather) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, And the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, And the nest on the branch, and the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around.

And on that feather (and on that feather) 

There was a bug (there was a bug) 

The prettiest bug (the prettiest bug) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The bug on the feather, and the feather on the wing, And the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, And the egg in the nest, and the nest on the branch, And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, And the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. 

And on that bug (and on that bug) 

There was a germ (there was a germ)

The prettiest germ (the prettiest germ) 

That you ever did see (that you ever did see) 

The germ on the bug, and the bug on the feather, And the feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, And the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, And the nest on the branch, and the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around. Yes, the green grass grows all around, all around The green grass grows all around!

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1. Rake the Leaves (Act out as you say it) I like to rake the leaves Into a great big hump Take two steps back Bend my knees and JUMP! 

2. Autumn Leaves 

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down 

Autumn leaves are falling down, all through the town. 

Rake them up into a pile into a pile, into a pile 

Rake them up into a pile 

Before they blow around. 

3. I am a Tall Tree 

I am a tall tree, 

I reach toward the sky, 

Where bright starts twinkle 

And clouds float by. 

My branches toss this way 

As the wild winds blow, 

Then they bend forward, Laden with snow. 

When they sway gently, I like it best. 

Then I rock the little birds To sleep in their nest. 

4. Five Little Leaves 

Five little leaves so bright and gay, 

Were dancing about on a tree one day 

The wind came blowing through the town (cup hands at mouth and make a big sing song whoosh sound) 

Wooosh! (have the kids say it with you) 

One little leaf came tumbling down (remove one leaf from the tree) 

Four little leaves so bright and gay…. (repeat poem) 

One little leaf so bright and gay 

Was dancing around on the tree one day, 

That one little leaf came tumbling down, 

All goooooone! (Shrug shoulders)

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Nature Walk 

2. Hide the leaves 

3. Dance like leaves falling

CLASS Concepts

On a sheet of chart paper, glue pictures or drawings of several different kinds of leaves making sure that you have many of the ones found in your area as well as one or two that are not. Review the leaves with the children. Ask them to predict what kinds of leaves that they may find on the playground or their community. “Which will be the most common? Which will be the least common?” Record the children’s predictions. Ask parents to take their child on a nature walk in their neighborhood to collect leaves to bring back to the class. Allow children to gather leaves on the playground if available. Invite children to sort the leaves during small group time.  Ask them to categorize them using the leaf chart created earlier and analyze the results. Were their predictions correct?

Teaching Concepts for Distance Learning

1. www.starfall.com

Practice phonics skills with these read-along stories.

2. Pretend to be falling leaves. Move slow, move fast, swirl around, move left, move right, then fall to the ground, and roll around.

3. Farm Fresh 360-Virtual Field Trip

4. Leaf Sorting

Go outside and collect leaves. Get leaves of different colors and sizes. Sort the leaves.

5. Falling Leaves

Throw a leaf or a bunch of leaves up in the air and watch them float through space. Talk about how they move high and low and fast and slow. Some leaves even twist and twirl as they float down toward the ground. Use your imagination to pretend you are a leaf that has just fallen from a tree. Float all over space. Dart high and low, fast and slow, twist and twirl until you reach the ground.