Year 1 Science: Trees through the year
Part of the Year 1 Science plants around us chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Trees through the year
A deciduous tree changes a lot through the year. Look at the four trees in the picture.
In spring, new green leaves grow, and some trees have blossom, which are flowers on the branches. In summer, the leaves are full and dark green. In autumn, the leaves change colour to yellow, orange, red or brown, and they fall to the ground. In winter, the tree has no leaves. It looks bare, with just its branches. Then new leaves grow again in spring.
Key ideas
- A deciduous tree loses its leaves in autumn.
- New leaves grow in spring.
- Autumn leaves can be yellow, orange, red or brown.
- In winter, a deciduous tree has no leaves.
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn
- Choose the one that matches. In autumn the leaves change colour and fall off the tree.autumn
- Write the answer. autumn
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn / winter
- Choose the one that matches. In winter the tree has no leaves. It looks bare.winter
- Write the answer. winter
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Go round the year, one season at a time, starting with spring.
- Start with spring. Spring comes first in the year.spring
- Name the seasons in turn. Summer follows spring, then autumn, then winter.spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Write the order. spring, summer, autumn, winter
Check. The year goes spring, summer, autumn, winter, and then spring again. ✓
Watch out. Winter comes last, not first.
Watch out
Watch out: a tree with no leaves is not dead. In winter a deciduous tree is resting. New leaves grow again in spring.
Try it at home (with a grown-up)
Tree diary. With a grown-up, choose one tree near your home or school, such as an oak or an apple tree. Draw it every month, or take a photo. Colour the leaves you can see and write the season. Do not climb the tree.
Working scientifically
What do you think the leaves of your tree will look like next month? How could we find out?
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Look at the same tree together in each season. Ask, “What is different? What colour are the leaves? Are any leaves on the ground?” Use the tree diary to see the changes over the year.
Exercise 2F The seasons of a deciduous tree
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn
- Choose the one that matches. Deciduous trees grow new leaves in spring.spring
- Write the answer. spring
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn / winter
- Choose the one that matches. The bare tree in the picture has no leaves. It is winter.winter
- Write the answer. winter
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn / winter
- Choose the one that matches. Autumn leaves can be bright orange.autumn
- Write the answer. autumn
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Compare each choice with what you know about it.
- Look at each choice. Think about what each one is like.spring / summer / autumn / winter
- Choose the one that matches. In summer the leaves are full and dark green.summer
- Write the answer. summer
Check. Check that the other choices do not match. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole clue before you choose.
Method. Go round the year, one season at a time, starting with spring.
- Start with spring. Spring comes first in the year.spring
- Name the seasons in turn. Summer follows spring, then autumn, then winter.spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Write the order. spring, summer, autumn, winter
Check. The year goes spring, summer, autumn, winter, and then spring again. ✓
Watch out. Winter comes last, not first.
Method. Read the sentence, then think about the fact.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it says.Oak trees lose their leaves in autumn.
- Check the fact. An oak is deciduous, so it loses its leaves in autumn.True
- Write the answer. True
Check. Say the fact in your own words: An oak is deciduous, so it loses its leaves in autumn. ✓
Watch out. Think about what is true, not what sounds right.
Method. Read the sentence, then think about the fact.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it says.Pine trees lose all their needles in winter.
- Check the fact. A pine is evergreen. It keeps its needles all year.False
- Write the answer. False
Check. Say the fact in your own words: A pine is evergreen. It keeps its needles all year. ✓
Watch out. Think about what is true, not what sounds right.
Method. Read the sentence, then think about the fact.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it says.Autumn leaves can be red.
- Check the fact. Autumn leaves can be yellow, orange, red or brown.True
- Write the answer. True
Check. Say the fact in your own words: Autumn leaves can be yellow, orange, red or brown. ✓
Watch out. Think about what is true, not what sounds right.
Method. Read the sentence, then think about the fact.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it says.Trees grow new leaves in winter.
- Check the fact. New leaves grow in spring, not in winter.False
- Write the answer. False
Check. Say the fact in your own words: New leaves grow in spring, not in winter. ✓
Watch out. Think about what is true, not what sounds right.
Method. Think about what happens to the leaves in autumn.
- Look at the autumn tree. In autumn the leaves fall off the tree.Leaves fall
- Think about where they land. They fall down onto the ground.Land on the ground
- Write the answer. The leaves fall off the tree and land on the ground.
Check. Look under a tree in autumn to see the fallen leaves. ✓
Watch out. Fallen leaves are on the ground, not in the air.
Method. Think about when deciduous trees lose their leaves.
- Read what Tom said. Tom says trees lose their leaves in summer.Summer?
- Think about the seasons. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn, not summer.Autumn
- Write the answer. No. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn.
Check. Summer leaves are full and green. ✓
Watch out. In summer the leaves are at their greenest.
Method. Think about what a tree does in winter.
- Read what Mia said. Mia says the tree is dead because it has no leaves.Dead?
- Think about the tree in winter. A deciduous tree is resting in winter.Resting
- Write the answer. No. The tree is resting. New leaves grow in spring.
Check. Look at the bare tree in winter, and then the same tree in spring. ✓
Watch out. A tree with no leaves is not dead. It is resting.
Method. Compare the tree in summer with the tree in winter.
- Look at summer. In summer the tree has full, green leaves.Full green leaves
- Look at winter. In winter the tree has no leaves.No leaves
- Write the answer. The leaves fell off in autumn, between summer and winter.The leaves have fallen off. The tree lost them in autumn.
Check. Autumn comes between summer and winter. ✓
Watch out. Think about the season in between.