Leaf Skeletons


Purpose: To understand how veins carry food to nourish the plant, To compare human skeletons and veins to leaf skeletons and veins.
Season: All
Materials: Old hairbrush or shoebrush with animal bristles, pounding board made from carpet attached to wood, clear plastic wrap
TEKS: 1.2A,B,C,D,E    1.3A,B     1.4A,B,C    1.6B
Procedure:
  1. Put a leaf on the board, top side up, hold it firmly in place with one hand, and tap gently until all the fleshiness is worn away, leaving only the skeleton of veins.
  2. Turn the leaf over and tap on the underside occasionally. This will take at least 10 minutes.
  3. Place the leaf skeleton between pieces of plastic wrap.
  4. At school, create a chart or Venn diagram comparing human skeletons to leaf skeletons.
  5. Questions: From which leaves could the fleshiness be removed easier, harder?
  6. How would green leaves and brown leaves differ in removing fleshiness?

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