Four Winds Nature Institute4 Casey Rd. Chittenden VT 05737
802-483-2917 www.fourwindsinstitute.org
LEAVES: Substitute K-2 Puppet Show
Characters: Dandelion, Foxtail Grass, Common Mullein, Pine Needles, Maple Leaf
Props: large magnifying lens with grass leaf pictured on one side and dandelion leaf pictured on the other
Dandelion
Hey you, would you mind moving over a bit,
please? I can’t get any sunlight.
Foxtail Grass
I’d like to but I can’t. I’m rooted to this spot!
Maybe you could grow a bit higher?
Dandelion
I don’t know, let me give it a try…ugh, ugh.
This is going to take some time.
Foxtail Grass
Hey, that breeze is blowing me over a bit. Is that
any better?
Dandelion
Much better! My leaves really need sunlight.
Foxtail Grass
Mine too! They need it to make food so I can
live and grow and make flowers and seeds.
Dandelion
That’s just why my leaves need sunlight too!
Our leaves are like food factories for the plant.
Foxtail Grass
Yeah! And for all the insects that eat us too.
Dandelion
Yeah – that kinda BUGS me!
Your leaves are so skinny, how do they ever get
enough sunlight to make your food?
Foxtail Grass
Oh, getting enough sunlight’s not the problem
for us grasses, but getting dried out by the sun –
now that can be a problem. Skinny leaves don’t
lose as much water as wide leaves do.
Dandelion
My leaves are wider, but it’s damp down here
near the ground so drying out isn’t a problem.
Foxtail Grass
My leaves have smooth edges but your leaves
are kind of scary-looking – like jagged teeth!
Dandelion
Those just help the water drip off so I won’t rot.
Foxtail Grass
My leaves need water to make food – they get it
through their veins. I can see you have veins too.
Dandelion
I wonder if they’re the same. Here, I’ll get my
magnifying lens and take a look. (holds up lens
with grass leaf) Wow! Your veins run right next
to each other like train tracks.
Foxtail Grass
Yeah. They’re called parallel veins, but they
could be called “train veins!” Let me see yours.
(Hold up lens with dandelion leaf) Yours are
different, like branches on a tree, or a feather!
Dandelion
Yeah – that’s why my veins are called pinnate –
it means, “feather-like.” Hey, I have an idea.
Let’s see what other kinds of leaves we can find.
Only I’m too low. I can’t see anything.
Foxtail Grass
Here’s that breeze blowing me over again. Can
you see now? (grass exits, mullein enters)
Dandelion
Oh yes, now I can see. Why, hello, I haven’t
met you before. You’re a tall flower, but you
don’t have any leaves!
Mullein
Sure I do, down at the bottom like you.
Dandelion
I see now. But your leaves are fuzzy! - covered
with hairs or fur. Is that to keep warm?
Mullein
No, no, not warm. But they keep me from
getting burned by the sun – and from being
eaten. Insects and other animals commonly do
not like fuzzy leaves.
Dandelion
Then that’s an uncommonly good defense!
Mullein
Well naturally. I’m the Common Mullein after
all! So long! (exits, grass reappears)
Dandelion
I’ll have to mull that one over. Let’s see now,
I see lots of grass leaves and some flowers and
some [pine enter]ouch! Hey, you’re prickly!
Pine Needles
Sorry - we didn’t mean to needle you. We just
can’t help it. We’re Pine Needles!
Dandelion
Well, I’m just looking for leaves today.
Pine Needles
We are leaves - the leaves of the pine tree.
Dandelion
Really? But you’re so skinny and hard.
Pine Needles
We have a hard waxy coat to keep from drying
out. But, we do the same thing your leaves do –
use sunlight, air and water to make food for the
tree. Only we do it all winter long.
Dandelion
Don’t you just turn blue in winter? It’s so cold!
Pine Needles
No, silly! If we did we’d be called “everblues”
instead of evergreens! [exits].
Four Winds Nature Institute – 8/06
Dandelion
That’s one pine example. Oh oh. Here’s a large
leaf coming in for a landing! [maple leaf
appears]. Hullo! Where did you fall from?
Maple
I just blew off that tree over there. We maple
leaves are designed to fall off when it begins to
freeze. Otherwise we’d just dry out and so
would the tree.
Dandelion
You’re shaped kind of like a hand with a palm
and five fingers.
Maple
Yes, it’s very handy.
Dandelion
Your veins go into each finger, but they all start
from one point, here, in the palm.
Maple
That’s why they’re called “palmate.”
Dandelion
We’ve seen all kinds of leaves today, but you
have the nicest color.
Maple
Aw gee – thanks. We turn colors in the fall when
we stop making food and our chlorophyll –
that’s the green stuff – goes away. Ah, here
comes the wind again. I’m off for a ride. Bye!
[exits, Foxtail enters]
Foxtail
You know what Dandelion? We’ve met a lot of
leaves today–fuzzy, needle-like, shaped like a
hand…
Dandelion
I’ll say, and I’ll bet there are a lot more to see…
Foxtail Grass
And every kind has a special design. We leaves
sure make this a beautiful and interesting place.
Dandelion
We sure do. Just LEAF it to us!
THE END
