Leaf Prints

With our beautiful collection of leaves, it was time to create something beautiful. Before jumping into our marker rubbings I wanted the children to appreciate all the different parts of a leaf and their important functions. 

We read about the parts of a leaf and like true botanists learned the scientific names for each. I think we all learned something new! 

Did you know the edge of a leaf is called the margin? Or that the main vein running through the middle is the midrib? The 'stem' is actually called a petiole and the broad, flat, smooth part of the leaf is the blade. Who knew!

After our science lesson it was time to get printing. Instead of the traditional crayon or pencil rubbings we put our washable markers to the test. Verdict - impressive! A must try at home. The trick was working quickly, before the ink was absorbed by the leaf. 

After completing our prints we revisited the process and through shared writing composed the following description. 

Here are some photos of the process and the finished prints. Love all the different colours.