Autumn

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/autumn

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the biochemical mechanism?Cessation of chlorophyll production in deciduous leaves, revealing carotenoids and anthocyanins
2. What is the hemispheric contrast?Occurs concurrently with spring in the opposite hemisphere due to Earth's tilt
3. What causes autumn to happen?Autumn happens because Earth tilts away from the Sun as it orbits, so the sun’s light hits the ground at a lower angle and the days get shorter.
4. Why do leaves change color in autumn?Leaves stop making chlorophyll, the green pigment, so the yellow, orange and red pigments that were hidden become visible. This helps trees save water and protect against winter damage.

Axial Tilt: The angle of a planet's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane around its star.
Solar Insolation: The amount of solar radiation received per unit area over a given time.
Leaf Senescence: The regulated process of aging and eventual death of plant leaves.