Gourd to be Back! Fall Fun Facts

I love fall. If you live in North America, you know the season is basically here, especially in the Washington D.C. area! I impatiently wait for it to come back around as soon as the season ends, so it seems fitting for September to talk about some fun fall science facts.

1. Leaves change color because the chlorophyll within them is breaking down. Chlorophyll, found within the chloroplasts in plant cells is responsible for the green color we see in most plants. However, when the days get shorter and the temperatures fall as a result, the chlorophyll starts to break down resulting in the beautiful array of colors we see on trees in the fall! Check out this article for more information.
2. Did you know that gourds have more uses other than just being fun fall decorations? Before water bottles existed, humans used gourds (which they grew using artificial selection so they would grow into better vessels!) to tote their liquids around. Dig more into gourds here!
3. Majority of bird migrations occur in the fall! Kind of like how humans migrate into their houses in the fall as the temperatures drop and the amount of daylight begins to dwindle, birds do the same. Fly over to this website for more information.
4. When do you feel like fall starts? Some say the autumnal equinox (September 2022) while others say the first day of September. Both are right- astronomers consider the equinox the first day of fall while meteorologists consider the first day to be September 1st! Check out more on the equinox here.
5. Farming had a lot of say in our calendars back in the day- especially the start of the school season! Families often relied on the help of their children to finish up the farming and harvesting season during summer. It wasn’t until the late 1850’s that school schedules were set to be what they are across urban and rural populations. Check out this article for more info.

Whether you hate the arrival of fall- or love it like I do- its finally upon us! At Edvotek we always want your transition from summer vacation back into the classroom as smooth as possible. Check out some of our helpful resources here: The Learning Center, Guides & Lesson Plans, and Instructional Videos!

As always, if you need support regarding your Edvotek experiments, reach out to us at 1-800-EDVOTEK (M-F 8am-5pm EST) or at info@edvotek.com.