Photosynthesis

# PHOTOSYNTHESIS

**Learning Age:** 8 -14

**Subject Links:** Biology, Life Science, Plant Biology

## Learning Objectives

1. Know that plants need water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to grow
2. Know the process of photosynthesis as a chemical reaction
3. Understand photosynthesis as a process by which plants make their own food

**Playlist Overview**

This collection of resources will help your students learn about the process of photosynthesis. This lesson/Playlist focuses on the chemical reaction that takes place during photosynthesis and the resources needed by a plant to make it happen. Students will then relate the various structures of a plant and how the energy stored in the product of photosynthesis is used to make biomass needed for growth, reproduction storage of energy .

**Keywords:** Plant, Tree, chlorophyll, chloroplast, photosynthesis, biomass, water, carbon dioxide, sunlight, glucose, oxygen, flowers, fruit, cellulose.

**VR Resources**

- Photosynthesis - Tree
- Photosynthesis - Leaf
- Leaf and Stem of Monocots and Dicots
- Strawberry ‒ Flower
- Apple Tree (Malus Domestica)

**Before Your Experience**

Before exploring photosynthesis in the VR headsets with students, check your students’ prior knowledge of plants, what they need to grow, and how they can make their own food. This could be done by drawing a simple diagram or providing a blank image of a flowering plant with roots, stem, leaves, and flowers.

**Ask Your Students**

Annotate what a plant needs to grow (such as water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide). Can they list what plants need to make their own food?

**Suggested Activities**

Here are some activity ideas to get you started using these VR resources in your classroom. These activities can be adapted for different ages and skill levels, and designed to fit into your lesson plans.

**Core Knowledge**{.objective .objective1}

While exploring the Photosynthesis – Tree model, students should observe the resources plants need to grow (and for photosynthesis). By interacting with each element of the model, they should discuss that water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide are needed for growth; but why? Here, the process of photosynthesis can be introduced and where the resources are obtained from: water is drawn by the roots in the soil, sunlight and carbon dioxide are absorbed by the green leaves.

Students can add more detail to their diagram from the introduction, by describing where plants obtain water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide.

**Demonstrating Understanding**{.objective .objective2}

As the discussion evolves, they should determine that the purpose of photosynthesis for a plant is to make its own food (glucose). By exploring the Photosynthesis – Leaf model, students should observe how water and carbon dioxide reach the inside of a leaf; their cells (the sight of photosynthesis) and react to make glucose (sugar). As such, photosynthesis is a chemical reaction that can be expressed as a word equation. By interacting with the elements of the model, students could be asked to observe the animations and attempt to write a word equation to represent photosynthesis. Once reviewed the actual equation can be added to their annotate diagram.

**Extended Learning**{.objective .objective3}

Students should now have a clear understanding of photosynthesis, the reactants needed by chloroplasts to drive the process, and how they affect the rate of photosynthesis: the question is why do plants make their own food, such as glucose?

By exploring the following models:

- Leaf and Stem of Monocots and Dicots
- Strawberry ‒ Flower
- Apple Tree (Malus Domestica)

Students should observe the various structures plants develop: Leaves, stem, fruits, seeds, flowers. By reviewing and analyzing these structures, students should draw a conclusion that plants use the energy from glucose for growth, reproduction, and storage of energy. The energy can be used to build the new parts of the plants and store it for when plants can’t photosynthesize.



# Cross Curricular Links{.objective .objective}

**Art & Design**

Challenge your students to create a 3D diorama of a deciduous tree to show photosynthesis taking place. They should add additional models to represent water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight.

**English Language**

Ask students to use the keywords and write a short story titled ‘In a Day’s Work for a Plant’. By using their knowledge of photosynthesis, they should write a short story from the point of view of a plant as it makes its own food to grow.

**Geography**

Ask students to research and create a profile of temperate biomes. The profile should include why deciduous plants can grow well in these environments.