10/21/2026

Morning Announcements

Morning Meeting Agenda

Mon · Social Studies Tue · Literacy Wed · Science Thu · Math Fri · ROAR + Houses
Science of the Day

Where do fall colors come from?

Look outside — leaves are turning yellow, orange, and red. Here’s the surprise: those colors were hiding inside the leaf the whole time. Let’s find out how.

In summer, leaves are green. In fall, they turn yellow, orange, and red. Why?

The same leaf shown green in summer and orange in fall

The same leaf — two seasons!

Let’s talk
  • What colors have you seen leaves turn? Which is your favorite?
  • Why do you think leaves change when the weather gets cold?
Reveal the answerHide the answer
The yellow and orange were in the leaf all summer — you just couldn’t see them! The strong green covered them up. When days get shorter and colder, the green fades away and the hidden colors finally show.
Try it

Be a falling leaf! Stand up, stretch your arms like branches, then flutter your fingers down slowly to the ground. Now freeze like a leaf resting in a pile!

Leaves are green because of chlorophyll — the pigment that captures sunlight to make food for the tree. But chlorophyll isn’t the only pigment in there.

Three pigments within a single leaf

Three pigments, one leaf.

Let’s talk
  • If the yellow was there all along, why couldn’t we see it in July?
  • Why would a tree stop making chlorophyll as winter approaches? What’s the advantage?
  • Evergreens keep their needles year-round. What might they be doing differently?
Reveal the answersHide the answers
Chlorophyll is so strong and abundant that it masks the other pigments. Trees stop making it because in winter there’s too little sunlight to make food worth the energy cost — so they shut the factory down and drop the leaves. Evergreens use a different strategy: waxy, needle-shaped leaves that lose less water and can keep working through cold months.
Try it

Leaf hunt! Find three leaves outside with different colors. Line them up lightest to darkest. Can you tell which one lost its chlorophyll first?

Additional Notes/Activities

If additional activities are needed for the Morning Meeting, they will be added here.