The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs

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Plants get the carbon dioxide they need from the air through their leaves. It moves by diffusion through small holes in the underside of the leaf called stomata. Guard cells control the size of the stomata so that the leaf does not lose too much water in hot, windy or dry conditions. Add an extra step and work on counting skills, color identification and more. Have your child count each read leaf, or place each yellow leaf in a pile etc. Ms Armit: That's the waxy cuticle. It's on the surface of the leaf and its main job is to prevent water loss as the plant needs this water. It also protects the plant. See what happens when you pour water all over the leaf. Making a Leaf Man is so much fun, and a great way to incorporate learning about the autumn season! This fun craft works on fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills well as simple science and conversations about our environment.

Different plants from different parts of the world have different adaptations to help them conserve water. This plant is really well adapted to the Mediterranean climate where it doesn't rain very much, so it's got these leaf hairs which helps capture that water. Don’t miss the opportunity read Lois Ehlert’s book Leaf Man! It’s truly a great book, and helps children better understand this leaf craft and come up with their own leaf man story too. How do you make a leaf man out of leaves? This free nature craft for kids is one of our very favorites, because it’s truly zero prep and you don’t have to spend any money to have a great finished product.Ms Armit: The leaf is a major organ in plants in which photosynthesis occurs. Without photosynthesis, there'd be very little life on Earth, because when plants photosynthesise, they take in carbon dioxide, and release oxygen as a by-product.

Ms Armit: Yeah. During the day and night, the plants are constantly respiring to release the energy in glucose so they can live - just like you. It's only during the day that plants photosynthesise. Any idea why? This fall craft is the perfect activity for the fall season, because each time your child create leaf creatures they are new and different! Here are the simple step-by-step directions:Cal: If they've got all those chloroplasts, then you'd need them to be near the top of the leaf to get that all-important sunshine. Cal: Right, now, I'm not I'm not saying that I don't trust you, Ms Armit, because I do, but I can't see it. So I can't be certain that those tiny holes are actually there. You can see here, there's holes in the leaf, and with a lot of air moving from the waterfall, these holes stop the leaf from ripping. I recommend having each child find at least 15 leaves of various sizes so that they have plenty of options for creating their own Leaf Men later. The lower part of the leaf is a spongy layer with loose-fitting cells. These let carbon dioxide reach the other cells in the leaf due to the air spaces around them, and also let the oxygen produced in photosynthesis leave the leaf easily. Water

Cal: Well, you inspired me. You know, we all know plants are amazing, and without photosynthesis we wouldn't be here. So, of course, we have to show our appreciation to plants.Ms Armit: I told you. If you had a microscope, you would be able to see this even better. The stomata allows gases to flow in and out of the leaves.