Autumn Colors   By Steve Walden

Photo courtesy pdphoto.org

One of the greatest wonders of the four seasons is the autumn colors. Depending on where you live, the changing colors of the leaves on the trees could start near Labor Day or more toward Thanksgiving. Here are a few questions to get your young minds going:    • How do trees know when to change color?    • Why do they change color?    • Why do some trees lose their leaves and some stay green all year?

These questions have many jumping-off points to new discoveries. What determines a leaf's color? What makes them green in the first place, and where does the green go? The possibilities of questions are endless. Science Made Simple has a small study on leaves for both your grade school ages as well as your younger learners, along with a couple of projects you can try. The questions don't just stop at grade school, either. Chemistry is involved in a big way. An article from About.com details the different molecular combinations at work. There are other factors at work, such as weather and altitude. Accuweather.com has an FAQ on leaves and weather. Let your quest for knowledge about leaves and colors guide you!