Have you ever wondered how water travels through leaves?
Let’s find out with these easy steps:
• Step 1 – Take a short walk outside, and pick three to five leaves from different trees. Try your best to collect leaves of different shapes and sizes.
• Step 2 – Bring your leaves inside. Take one or two leaves and snip off the bottom of each stem.
• Step 3 – Take those leaves and place each one in a glass with water. The glass should be filled about 2/3 of the way up.
• Step 4 – Take red, blue, or orange food coloring, and add it to the glass of water. The darker the water the better chance you have at seeing the changes in the leaves.
• Step 5 – Time to observe: place your glass on your kitchen counter or an area where it will not be moved. Each day, record any changes you see. If you happen to have a magnifying glass, take a close look at the veins of the leaf, and record what you see.
• Step 6 – For the next couple of days continue to record your observations on what is happening to your leaf.
• Step 2 – Bring your leaves inside. Take one or two leaves and snip off the bottom of each stem.
• Step 3 – Take those leaves and place each one in a glass with water. The glass should be filled about 2/3 of the way up.
• Step 4 – Take red, blue, or orange food coloring, and add it to the glass of water. The darker the water the better chance you have at seeing the changes in the leaves.
• Step 5 – Time to observe: place your glass on your kitchen counter or an area where it will not be moved. Each day, record any changes you see. If you happen to have a magnifying glass, take a close look at the veins of the leaf, and record what you see.
• Step 6 – For the next couple of days continue to record your observations on what is happening to your leaf.
The color will show up in the leave like below!
How is this happening?
How is this happening?
The colored water is moving through the xylem tubes of the leaf. The xylem tubes of plants transport water and minerals up from the roots through the entire plant.
Feel free to share pictures of your leaves to mchurch@highlandscenter.org
