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A Texture Investigation

Activity

Exploring Leaves & the Trees They Come From

Collect fallen leaves from different trees around the school grounds. Can you try to identify the trees by looking at the shape and size of the leaves? What about the texture? Try to gather 4 leaves with different textures! Look for shiny, rough, fuzzy, feathery, thick, pointy and more!

Science Seed

At Palmer Elementary, you can find trees like Montezuma cypress, sandpaper tree (anacua), oak, pecan, mesquite, and willow—all with unique leaves that tell the story of their adaptations to the environment. Montezuma cypress leaves are soft, feathery, and arranged in flat sprays, perfectly suited for soaking up sunlight near water sources. The sandpaper tree, or anacua, has rough, textured leaves that feel like sandpaper—an adaptation that may help conserve moisture and deter pests. Oak trees have broad, tough leaves that capture sunlight and withstand seasonal changes, while pecan trees feature long, clustered leaves designed to conserve water in hot climates. Mesquite trees thrive with their small, feathery leaves that reduce water loss, and willows have slender, flexible leaves that quickly absorb moisture in wet environments. By touching and observing these leaves, you can feel the roughness, softness, or smoothness that reflect each tree’s unique strategy for survival.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Geraldine Palmer Elementary

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.