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 Why Do Leaves Change
color?
The fall season begins in September
as daylight hours begin to decrease.
This change in the amount of daylight hours brings change to plants
and trees. Plants and trees use sunlight, water and air to make
their own food. They take in a gas called carbon dioxide from the air
and release oxygen. Plants and trees use the carbon dioxide for
food, while people and animals need the clean oxygen that they
release to breathe. Plants and trees also use sunlight to make their
own sugar for food through a process called photosynthesis. Tree
leaves, along with other plants, contain a substance called
chlorophyll that changes sunlight to food. Chlorophyll is green and
the leaves store a supply of it that is made during the long summer
days. This makes the leaves appear green. However, hiding behind
the green, are the reds, yellows, browns and oranges that we see in
the fall. So when the daylight hours decrease, the green chlorophyll
begins to fade as the leaves produce less food. When the
chlorophyll fades we begin to see the reds, yellows, browns and
oranges that have been in hiding all summer long. When this happens,
we know fall has arrived.

carbon
dioxide
sunlight

photosynthesis
chlorophyll
oxygen
(green)

water
 Why Do Leaves Change Color
Reading Response

Circle true or false for each statement.

1.  Leaves turn green when daylight hours decrease.

true false

2. Trees use carbon dioxide to make food.

true false

3. Trees take in oxygen to make food.

true false

4. Chlorophyll is a substance used by plants to make food.

true false

5. Leaves do not have other colors in the summer.

true false

6. Chlorophyll is brown.
true false

7. Daylight hours decrease in the fall.

true false

8. Trees store food in their bark.

true false
 Why Do Leaves Change Color
Cause and Effect
Complete the cause and effect diagram with the pictures below.

Cause then, so
Effect

lots of sunlight

yellow leaf

carbon
dioxide

less sunlight oxygen

green leaf