Leaf underwater with air bubbles.

STREAM Activity: Breathing Leaves

Activity best for children ages 2 and up

Plants are living things. This means that just like people, they breathe! Plants breathe in a special way called photosynthesis. When plants breathe, they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. This simple experiment will help you “see” plants breathe!

GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • What do you know about leaves? Why are leaves living things?

  • What do you think will happen when the leaf is under the water?

  • What do you think the bubbles are made from? Why are the bubbles on top of the leaf?

MATERIALS

  • Clear bowl or cup

  • Water

  • Large leaf (make sure it is freshly picked from a tree, this won’t work with one from the ground)

  • Rock

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Fill a bowl with lukewarm water.

STEP 2

Place the leaf in the water. Place the rock on top of the leaf so it is fully submerged in the water.

STEP 3

Wait a few hours!

STEP 4

Take a peek at the leaf and share what you see! You should see tiny bubbles on top of the leaf — this is the leaf breathing!