Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest Leaves Leaves are a very important component of a plant's food factory. Without leaves, a plant would not be able to make food and will eventually die. Leaves can be used to help us identify plants.
Many leaves are edible and are eaten by animals, birds, and humans.
This activity will introduce students to leaf identification and function. The ASPI Nature Center houses a collection of leaves inside, and there are many leaves outside to be collected and studied. This activity can be done at school before an ASPI Nature Center visit, or as part of the visit. This is also a good activity to do before your students adopt a tree and as part of any other activities that involve plants. Each organism is unique and possesses individual traits that help in its identification.