Hey chickadees---thought I'd bring a lil fun science into your worlds.

Leaves have all the colors in them all the time.  When the sun is closest to us, it activates chlorophyll in the leaves, which is the green pigment, to the demise of all others.  As the sun moves away from earth, the chlorophyll activation is diminished, and the reds and yellows come out into view.  And since the colder weather slows everything down, the food supply to the leaves gets less, leading to the leaves dropping.

OK, so this is a perfect time of year to test this stuff out.  here's what you need:  some empty baby food jars, rubbing alcohol, foil, coffee filters, super warm (not hot tho) water, green leaves and red leaves and yellow leaves. 

chop up the leaves as finely as possible, then put the green in one jar, the red in another, yellow in a 3rd.    cover them with rubbing alcohol, and then cover the jars with the foil (or loosely with their lids).  Put each jar in about 1inch of the warm but not super hot water.  Every 5 mins or so swirl the jar for about a half hour. 

Cut the coffee filters in strips.  Take the jars out of the water, and put the coffee filter strips in the rubbing alcohol, one end sticking out of the top of the jar.  Wait 30-90 minutes. 

The alcohol should carry the pigments up the filter.  You should be able to see the bands of the rainbow with the various color leaves. 

Good Luck!!  I'll be posting pics of us doing this this weekend, would love to see anyone else who tries it!!! 

SCIENCE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!