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Kids in the Garden, Ep 4: Plant leaves

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Different plant leaves on table
Kids in the Garden, Ep 4: Plant leaves

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  3–4, 5–6


Leaves come in many shapes, sizes, colours and textures.

Watch this clip to discover how leaves make their own food and transport energy to the rest of the plant.

See how they can even be useful after they've fallen to the ground.

Presenter Nick Hardcastle and some young helpers will also show you a fun, creative activity using leaves.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Have you heard of photosynthesis? Plants can make their own food. Can animals? Do you know what makes leaves green?
  2. 2.Humans breathe out carbon dioxide. What does Nick tell us that plants do with this gas? Why do deciduous plants drop their leaves during autumn? What things do plants require to make their own energy? Why are the veins of leaves important?
  3. 3.Pick one of the indicators of plant health: drooping or wilting leaves; leaves that are yellow; and leaves damaged by insects. Find out how these problems can be fixed. Draw or make a list of some different leaf shapes, sizes and colours in a garden you know. Find out how leaf features might help a plant survive. For instance, thin leaves help to reduce water loss.
  4. 4.Do your own leaf project. Collect some different types of leaves and preserve them in a home-made leaf press. You could then create a leaf collage, a leaf display, or cards, as shown in the clip. Do some more research into photosynthesis and draw a diagram of the process.



Date of broadcast: 16 May 2005


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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