Understand and explain photosynthesis

THEME: The Living Soil–The Living Plant: We are all Interconnected and Related
STRAND: Science of Living Plants
GRADE LEVEL: 6-8

Key Concepts

Categorize the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis.

Lesson

Recognize seasonality in the garden and how it affects the plantʻs ability to photosynthesize.

Design an experiment to demonstrate the effect different quantities of light have on the growth and development of seedlings.

Set up and observe transpiration bags. Measure the volume of water collected from different plants and correlate to surface area of a leaf.

\* See Appendix: Chlorophyll Extraction

Chromatography:

Activity

View the leaf of a plant through a microscope and identify cell organelles and structures that contribute to photosynthesis, such as chloroplasts, stomata.

Chlorophyll extraction and chromatography.

Write the molecular formula for photosynthesis and demonstrate the conservation of matter.

Design an experiment to demonstrate the effect different quantities of light have on the growth and development of seedlings.