Photosynthesis

Topic: photosynthesis

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to explain the importance of photosynthesis and describe the process using proper terms and descriptions.

Materials

• Images of plants and their leaves (either real or from a book)
• Handouts with definitions and descriptions of key terms (e.g. substrate, oxygen, carbon dioxide, photons, chlorophyll)
• Chart paper or whiteboard and markers

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever seen a plant before.
• Ask them to describe what the plant looks like and how it is different from other objects (e.g. it has leaves and doesn't move on its own).
• Ask them if they know how plants are able to survive and grow without moving.
• Lead a discussion about how plants are able to take in energy from the sun and use it to make food and energy for themselves.

Direct Instruction

• Show students pictures or videos of leaves and explain that these are the parts of the plant that carry out photosynthesis.
• Explain that the leaves capture energy from the sun in the form of a chemical called photons.
• Tell students that the photons are then used to create food and energy for the plant, which is called glucose.
• Explain that this glucose can be used by the plant for growth and to sustain itself.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs and give each pair a set of clear plastic leaves.
• Have students place the leaves in a sunny location and observe them over the course of a day.
• Have students chart the amount of sunlight the leaves are exposed to, as well as the changes they see in the leaves (e.g. opening and closing).
• Have students use the photos they took to create a graph comparing the amount of sunlight the leaves were exposed to with the changes they observed in the leaves.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the leaves in direct sunlight? What happens to the leaves in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?

Independent Practice

• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's leaf structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of sunlight on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of sunlight and measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of sunlight the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in direct sunlight? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of water on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of water and measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of water the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in moist soil? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in dry soil? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of light on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of light in the room surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of light and measure and record the amount of light in the room surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of light the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in direct sunlight? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment

to test the effect of different levels of soil moisture on the rate of photosynthesis.

• Have students measure and record the amount of soil moisture in the potting soil surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of soil moisture and measure and record the amount of soil moisture in the potting soil surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of soil moisture the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in moist soil? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in dry soil? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's leaf structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of sunlight on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of sunlight and measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of sunlight the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in direct sunlight? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experimentto test the effect of different levels of water on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of water and measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of water the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in moist soil? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in dry soil? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's leaf structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of light on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of light in the

air surrounding their model plants.

• Have students place their models in different levels of light and measure and record the amount of light in the air surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of light the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in direct sunlight? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of water on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of water and measure and record the amount of water in the soil surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of water the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in moist soil? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in dry soil? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's leaf structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of sunlight on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of sunlight and measure and record the amount of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding their model plants every five minutes for 30 minutes.
• Have students use their data to create a graph comparing the level of sunlight the model plants were exposed to with the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students use their data to answer the following questions: What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in direct sunlight? What happens to the rate of photosynthesis in indirect sunlight? Why do you think this is the case?Independent Practice
• Have students work in groups to create a model of a plant's root structure using construction paper, scissors, and glue.
• Have students use their model to conduct a experiment to test the effect of different levels of soil moisture on the rate of photosynthesis.
• Have students measure and record the amount of soil moisture in the potting soil surrounding their model plants.
• Have students place their models in different levels of soil moisture and measure and record the amount of soil moisture in the potting soil surrounding their model