Developmental Lesson Plan

Leaves Changing Colors

Teacher Candidate: Marissa Rapposelli Date: 4/15/2021

Group Size: 25 Allotted Time: 60 Minutes Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Subject or Topic: Leaves Changing Colors

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

● Standard- 4.1.2.D: Identify differences in living things (color, shape, size, etc.) and
describe how adaptations are important for survival.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
● The 3rd grade students will be able to show how leaves change colors by conducting
an experiment.
● The 3rd grade students will be able to provide predictions about what will happen
during their experiment.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Recording Sheet 1. Completed Worksheet
2. Open Discussion 2. Discussion about key terms
3. Exit Slip Completed 3. Exit Slip Completed
Assessment Scale:

The scale will be out of 4:

4- Exemplary (The student completes the whole recording sheet and correctly explains why
leaves change colors.)

3- Satisfactory (The student completes only half of the recording sheet and demonstrates
some understanding of why leaves change colors.)

<2 – Needs Improvement (The student completes less than one section of the recording
sheet and does not demonstrate understanding of why leaves change colors.

/4 Points

Students are exemplary if they score 4 points. Students are satisfactory if they score 3 points.
Students need remediation if students have below 2 points, they will need to relearn why
leaves change colors.

Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
● Students need to know what leaves are and they contain chlorophyll.
● Students need to know about seasons from activity 2.
● Fall is also referred to as Autumn.
 ● Students need to know the parts and functions of plants from lesson 2.

Key Vocabulary:
● Fall: Is the season between summer and winter, this is because the weather becomes
colder and plants go dormant.
● Chlorophyll: Is a green pigment found in plants. Plants use chlorophyll and light to
make food.
● Pigment: Natural coloring matter of animal and plant tissues.

Content/Facts:
● Chlorophyll is the pigment that is responsible for making leaves green and what comes
from photosynthesis.
● When chlorophyll breaks down, the green color of leaves starts to disappear, and then
other colors, such as yellow, orange, and red becomes visible to the eye.
● When the season changes to fall, because of the daylight and temperatures, leaves will
stop photosynthesis which results in the breakdown of chlorophyll.

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies: (10 Minutes)

● Hello friends! I am so excited to get going on today’s lesson! Can anyone recap for me
about yesterday’s lesson on the seasons?
○ Allow time for students to answer about the seasons.
● Good job! Now can anyone recall for me which season is associated with leaves
changing?
○ The answer the students should say is fall.
● Well that was amazing! I also asked you to think about why leaves change colors. The
teacher will hand out the exit slip ahead of time for the first question.
● Once handing out the exit slip the teacher will instruct students to fill in their
prediction on why leaves change colors. Then collect the exit slip back from the
students.
● The teacher will then get out the book Why Do Leaves Change Colors. The teacher will
begin the read aloud with the students, reminding the students this book refers to fall as
Autumn.
● Now, keep this book in mind when going about the rest of the lesson and what could
happen in our activities.

Development/Teaching Approaches: (40-45 Minutes)

● The teacher will introduce the anchor chart (2) to the children. It will be hung in the
front of the room on the board. The leaves that are on this specific anchor chart are
maple tree leaves. The teacher should hide each item on the anchor chart under sticky
notes before speaking about them so no one can move ahead.
● The teacher will then recap with the students about chlorophyll and how it is used in
photosynthesis. There will be a chloroplast cell next to the anchor chart (2) on the
board from lesson 2.
● The teacher will then start handing out the supplies for activity 1 which contains, glass
jar, rubbing alcohol, leaves, recording sheet, and rubber mallet.
○ Instruct students to not touch any of the materials until told to do so.
 ● The teacher will explain the directions on the recording sheet which also has it on there
for the students to reread at any time throughout the experiment.
● Instruct students to make their prediction before starting the experiment.
● The teacher will explain to dump in the rubbing alcohol and water into the jar, then the
students will rip and mash up the leaves inside of the jar. The rubbing alcohol and
water should turn the color of the leaves before inserting the coffee filter into the jar in
a cone shape.
○ Instruct students to then describe what the coffee filter looks like and the colors
they see in the beginning slot of the recording sheet.
● Once completing the beginning portion on the recording sheet, invite students to
discuss what they think will happen with a partner and then share with the class. Then
instruct the students to put this next to their desk on the floor so they can get onto the
next activity which should bring them to the middle of class.
● Instruct the students to then get their notebooks/SeeSaw out before starting a video.
Then after they have this out start the video and instruct the kids to take notes on the
video about why leaves change colors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk4-
6II8l5Q
● After this video and discussion ask the students to reach for their jars and bring it back
in front of them on the desk. Ask them to observe their coffee filter and make notes on
the middle section of the recording sheet of the colors and what observations they see.
● After this have students discuss if this is following what they predicted before on the
first observation of the coffee filter.
● Then ask the students to put the jar back down and get ready for the next experiment.
● Hand out the paper, paint, leaves, and writing and coloring supplies to the students.
● Model to the students how to make a print of the leaves by brushing the paint on and
have the students do this with different leaves to create prints of their leaves they
chose.
○ Allow students to have fun and explorer printing of leaves and ask observations
walking around from the students and ask their interests. Have students take a
picture and upload to SeeSaw before putting away.
● After some time, instruct students to put the prints on the paper on the drying rack in
the back of the room.
● Once everything is cleaned up, ask the students to bring their jar back in front of them
before ending class and make their final observation in the ending section of the
recording sheet. Allow time with students to share their different colors and what sticks
out to them. Have them take a picture for SeeSaw and upload to their notebook.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies: (5 Minutes)

● Thank you everyone for all your hard work! You did an amazing job following
directions for this experiment and printing activity.
● I will now hand out the exit slip I had you fill out in the beginning of class. Now
answer for me was your prediction correct why or why not, support with details that
you learned in class.
● Now, for the fun part! Tomorrow we get to see how this all comes together everyone!
● So, make sure to look over your notes tonight and get ready for tomorrow, because we
 get to understand deforestation and how it relates to us and makes this so important!
Think of the Lorax and see if you can guess why it matters for tomorrow!

Accommodations/Differentiation: Follow all IEPs.

● Accommodations: The student that we are accommodating for is a male ELL

student whose first language is Spanish.

○ While reading the story allow the student to have a copy in Spanish or the
story translated in front of them.

○ When watching the video turn on Spanish subtitles for the student.

○ When filling out the prediction worksheet have a Spanish copy for
reference.

● Differentiation:

○ If a student is struggling they could have 1:1 instruction for the activities
to help break them down even more or have a student who is accelerated help
the student.

○ Students who are accelerated learners could prepare a summary on how

leaves change using the different leaf pigments found on anchor chart 1.

Materials/Resources:
● Book: Maestro, B., & Krupinski, L. (2015). Why do leaves change color? New York,
NY: HarperCollins Children's Books
● Glass Jars
● Coffee Filters
● Leaves
● Rubbing Alcohol
● Notebook/SeeSaw
● Recording Sheet (Activity 1)
● Anchor Chart 1
● Anchor Chart 2
● Rubber Mallet for Mashing Leaves
● Pencils/Color Pencils/Markers
● Paint
● Paper
● Water
● Paint Brushes
● Exit Slip
● Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk4-6II8l5Q

Reflective Response:
 Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels
Remediation Plan (if applicable)
Personal Reflection Questions
Additional reflection/thoughts

Activity Page:

Anchor Chart 1: This is for the different chemicals responsible for each color of the leaves
changing just for knowledge found on Pinterest, this is not anything specific in the lesson but for
the room in case of accelerated learners.

Anchor Chart 2: This also came from Pinterest to explain what happens to leaves and why they
change colors.

Activity 1: This was found from 123 Homeschool and this

allows students to go over how different leaves can change
colors and see all the different colors of the leaves.
Recording Sheet for Activity 1:
Activity 2: This activity I came up on my own and the students will make their own fall tree
when the leaves start changing colors by creating leaf prints.

Exit Slip:

Why do you think leaves change colors? (Prediction)

Was your prediction correct, why or why not? Support with details that you learned from class.