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Colorful Autumn Scene

Children will create a mixed media autumn scene and learn about the changing seasons.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Ask children to think about some of the changes they notice in autumn, for example it starts to get dark earlier, the temperature gets cooler, the leaves change color and then fall off the trees, etc. Explain that leaves are green in spring and summer because of a green chemical called chlorophyll, which absorbs energy from sunlight and helps them make food. As days get shorter and cooler there is less sunlight, so the leaves don't make as much chlorophyll. As the green color starts to disappear, colors such as red, orange, yellow, and brown start to emerge. These colors were always in the leaves, but were underneath the green.

  • Step 2

    Have children create a mixed media autumn scene using torn paper and paint. They can tear tree trunk and branch shapes out of dark construction paper then glue them onto a lighter piece of construction paper. They can then paint red, yellow, and orange leaves on the trees.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to present their art and discuss autumn activities they enjoy.

Standards

SCI: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

SCI: Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.

Adaptations

Discuss the "harvest moon" with children. It appears in early autumn and lasts for about three days. This full moon generally rises early, just after sunset, and shines very bright. It is called a harvest moon because in the days before electricity it provided light that helped farmers harvest their summer-grown crops. Have children draw a nighttime scene that depicts a harvest moon and a farmer tending to crops.

Take the class outside on a crisp fall day. Have children collect fallen leaves and use them in an autumn collage. If you live in a state or region where leaves don't change color, ask children to make a collage of a typical fall scene in your area.