Photosynthesis: Why the

Leaves Change Color

Student Script: Final Part 2
Indiana Warrior
EDU 214
Ms. Warrior: Happy Friday class! How is everyone today?
Class: Happy Friday Ms. Warrior! We are excited for the weekend.
Ms. Warrior: Me too! Friends have you noticed how outside the leaves
are starting to change colors, and are no longer green? Can someone
raise their hand and tell me what other colors the leaves are?
Student 1: They are red, orange, yellow, and brown.
Ms. Warrior: Very good! Today we are going to be learning about why
leaves change color. Do we have our listening ears ready?
Class: Yes!
Ms. Warrior: Great, let’s begin! The
reason that leaves change color is
because of a process called
photosynthesis.
Student 2: What’s photosynthesis?
Ms. Warrior: It’s a big word to explain
how plants eat, grow, and breathe. Who
can tell me what their favorite food is?
Student 3: Macaroni and cheese.
Ms. Warrior: Yum! Well, plants like to
eat sunlight.
Ms. Warrior: The picture to the right shows
the photosynthesis cycle, I will explain it
now. In the summertime, when the leaves are
green, they absorb sunlight and carbon
dioxide. Carbon dioxide is what we breathe
out. In the first part of the cycle, leaves
absorb sunlight, carbon dioxide, and a little
bit of water into food they use for energy.
The next part of the cycle is when the leaves
release oxygen which is what you and me
breathe! Do we understand class?
Student 4: So plants take in sunlight, carbon dioxide
that we breathe out, and water, and use it as food for
energy. Then they breathe out oxygen.
Ms. Warrior: That is exactly right, you explained the
cycle perfectly!
Student 5: But I still don’t understand why the leaves
change color.
Ms. Warrior: I am getting to that part now but first we
had to understand photosynthesis! Inside of leaves is a
molecule called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives
leaves their green pigment. Can anyone tell me what a
molecule is?
Student 6: It’s what makes things, molecules are
everywhere.
Ms. Warrior: That was a great explanation. I want
you to think of it like this. To make a lego spaceship
you need lots of legos right? Each piece is important
and help makes part of the ship. Think of molecules
like legos. Each molecule is a small part of what
causes the leaves to change color. It’s like a bunch
of green, red, orange, and yellow legos all put
together to make the leaf. Molecules aren’t just in
leaves, these little legos are everywhere. For
example, me and you and the desk you're sitting at
are all made of molecules.
Ms. Warrior: Do we understand?
Class: Yes.
Ms. Warrior: Great! As it gets colder outside the
sun is out for a shorter amount of time. With less
sun the photosynthesis process slows down and
chlorophyll molecules in the leaves begins to
breakdown. When chlorophyll breaks down the
leaves lose their green color and start to turn red,
orange, yellow, and eventually fall off and turn
brown. Think of this like when you want to
change your lego spaceship we talked about
earlier from green to red.
Ms. Warrior: Just like how chlorophyll makes the
leaves green, there are two other molecules that give
leaves their red, orange, yellow, and brown colors.
Carotenoid is the molecule that makes leaves yellow
and orange. This is similar to what makes carrots
orange. Anthocyanin is the molecule that makes leaves
red. Anthocyanin is a special molecule because it acts
like a winter coat to protect leaves from colder weather.
This is why red leaves usually stay on the trees longer.
Do we have any questions so far?
Student 7: What makes the leaves turn brown?
Ms. Warrior: That is a great question!
Ms. Warrior: When leaves turn brown they no longer
have pigment and fall off the tree. At this point it is
cold outside that the trees will be bare for the winter.
They will have green leaves again in the spring and the
process will repeat. That is the end of our lesson, do we
have any questions?
Class: No
Ms. Warrior: Great job class! Everyone did an
excellent job listening! Now I will give you your
assignment.
Ms. Warrior: When leaves turn brown they no longer
have pigment and fall off the tree. At this point it is
cold outside that the trees will be bare for the winter.
They will have green leaves again in the spring and the
process will repeat. That is the end of our lesson, do we
have any questions?
Class: No
Ms. Warrior: Great job class! Everyone did an
excellent job listening! Now I will give you your
assignment. Today you will be going outside to collect
leaves in all different colors and identifying which
molecule causes this color. You will also be making a
diagram of the photosynthesis cycle.
Ms. Warrior: See my example below. You will begin by going outside and
collecting one leaf of each color (green, yellow, orange, red and brown). When you
turn in your assignment it is important that it follow the format of the examples
below.
Ms. Warrior: Begin by taking 1 sheet of white paper
and draw the photosynthesis cycle with black marker as
shown in diagram. Make sure to include all
components of the cycle and properly label what is
taken in and what is released. After completing the
photosynthesis diagram you will move onto labeling
the leaves. Arrange leaves in the following order:
green, yellow, orange, red, and brown. Next, tape
leaves to paper. Above the leaf write its color. Below
the leaf write the molecule that causes for the leaf to be
that color. Ex: Chlorophyll causes leaves to be green.
Make sure that all molecules are spelled properly to
avoid points being lost.
Ms. Warrior: That is the end of our lesson for
today, does anybody have questions before we
begin our work?
Class: No
Ms. Warrior: Alright great job today class! You
will now go outside and collect your leaves. Once
you are done come back inside and work on the
assignment. Don’t forget to put your name and date
on the paper.