Leafless Trees in Winter

After the leaves change color in the fall, they fall off and don’t grow back right away because they lose chlorophyll during the winter season. Students will be exploring why leaves fall off and stay off of trees in the winter.

Driving Question

• Why aren’t there leaves on the trees in winter?

Probing Questions

• Why might leaves not be on trees in winter compared to fall, summer, or spring?
• How might the leaves on the trees be similar and different to other plants that are outside over time?
• Why do you think the leaves are no longer on the trees?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

• Create a class-wide KWL chart on changing leaves and fill out before, during, and after observations and activities.
• Make observations outside about the leaves on different types of trees and plants in both early fall, winter, and spring. Students could take notes in a three-column chart during nature walks and/or outside observations in all three seasons. Students can also create detailed drawings of the different leaves and have a classroom gallery walk for students to see.
• Create a three-circle Venn diagram to compare and contrast the trees from all times of observation. Work as a class to fill in all details.
• Conduct research using approved websites to learn why the leaves have fallen off of the trees. 

Relevant Related Resources

Why do leaves change color in the fall? | Wonderopolis: An article on why leaves change colors and fall off trees.
Why do trees lose their leaves? | YouTube: A video on why trees lose their leaves.
Plants Need Water and Light | Generation Genius: A lesson on plants needing water and sunlight to survive.