Grade: Middle
Subject: Science

#2748. Photosynthesis

Science, level: Middle
Posted Fri Dec 6 13:00:40 PST 2002 by Joy Oakley (dstn4joy@aol.com).
University of Tulsa, Tulsa , US
Materials Required: fast plants, Arc View GIS mapping 3.2
Activity Time: 6 week unit
Concepts Taught: processes involved in photosynthesis

Joy Oakley
EDUC 7053
Instruction Design/ Curriculum Integration
Fall 2002/ Stewart
Photosynthesis


This unit will be a six-week study of Photosynthesis. Students will look at the origins of Photosynthesis and the processes involved. They will learn the importance of photosynthesis and why plants are essential to life. This unit will be introduced to a 7th grade science class that meets twice a week in a block scheduling system. The class meets for 90 minutes and there are approximately 25 students in the class.

Enduring Knowledge
Identify qualitative and/or quantitative changes given conditions before, during, and after an event.
Characteristics of an organisms result from the inheritance and from interactions with the environment.
Living organisms have physical and behavioral responses to external stimuli.
Students will be able to design and conduct experiments.

Final Assessment
1 Observation Journal
2 Concept Map
3 In class writing assignment

Rubrics For Evaluation
Objectives Criteria Earned Points
Application- Concept Map 1pt Incomplete work. Little or no effort shown 2pt Some parts incomplete. Difficult to follow. Inaccurate. 3pt Good effort shown. Easy to follow. Shows a fair understanding of major concepts and ideas. 4pt Organized and complete. Superior effort shown. Shows excellent understanding of major concepts and ideas.
Self-Knowledge Writing Assignment (in-class) 1pt Incomplete work. Little or no effort shown 2pt Shows limited understanding of major concepts and ideas. Little or no effort shown 3pt Shows adequate understanding of major concepts and ideas, Good effort shown. 4pt Organized and complete. Shows an excellent understanding of major concepts and ideas.
Observation Journal 1pt Incomplete 2pt Some parts missing. 3pt Good effort shown. 4pt Superior effort shown.


Essential Question 1-What is Photosynthesis?
Lesson 1- What organisms undergo photosynthesis?
Introduction lesson. Students will answer the question. . . What is Photosynthesis? And discuss what organisms undergo photosynthesis.
The final part of class will be a video on photosynthesis.
Lesson 2- What are the parts of a plant?
Students will write a paragraph on what they remember about photosynthesis.
Students will label a picture of a plant and then the teacher will discuss the anatomy of a plant.

Essential Question 2-How has Photosynthesis developed in the scientific world?
Lesson 3 - When did photosynthesis originate?
A discussion on when scientist first discovered photosynthesis
Students will go to the computer lab and look up articles about photosynthesis

Lesson 4-
Students will complete a T/F quiz over material covered so far.
Students will get into groups of 5 and grow fast plants (experimental and control). They will be instructed on the next phase of the class, which will primarily be experimental. They will begin observing the experimental plant and keeping an individual journal on what they observe as conditions change.

Essential Question 3- How do plants make food?
Lesson 5- What are the processes involved in photosynthesis?
Students will participate in a discussion about the role of water in photosynthesis and predict what would happen to their plants if there were no water available.
Students will go to the computer lab and use the Arc View GIS 3.2 mapping program to locate deserts and forests and discuss how plants adapt.

Lesson 6- Can plants grow in the desert?
Class lecture on the role of sunlight in photosynthesis. Students will get into their groups and observe their plants. They will journal what they observe and then design and conduct an experiment based on the role that sunlight plays in photosynthesis.
Students will take an open note quiz over material covered so far.

Lesson 7- Can plants survive without sunlight?
Students will get into groups and observe plants from the experiment. They will compare with the control plant that was under regular conditions and journal what they observe.
Class lecture on the role of Carbon Dioxide in photosynthesis. Students will take another experimental plant and design and conduct an experiment based on the role that Carbon Dioxide plays in photosynthesis.

Lesson 8- Can plants survive without Carbon Dioxide?
Students will get into groups and observe experimental plants. They will compare it with the control plant and journal observations.
Class discussion on the role of sugar in photosynthesis

Essential Question 4- Why is photosynthesis important to the environment?
Lesson 9- Why are forests considered the lungs of the earth?
Overview of the role of water, sunlight, Carbon dioxide, and sugar in photosynthesis.
Discussion on why plants are important to the environment.
Students will be given instructions for take home assignment (concept map on the processes of photosynthesis

Lesson 10- What is the greenhouse effect?
Students will turn in observation journals and concept maps.
Students will watch a video on the greenhouse effect and discuss how the absence of plants would affect the world

Essential Question 5- Why is photosynthesis important to us?
Lesson 11- Can we live without oxygen? What is the Food Chain?
Discussion on how plants give off oxygen and how that affects us
Discussion on the food chain and how plants are involved. Students will predict and discuss what would happen if there were no plants on earth and how they would be affected.
Students will be given the instructions for their final assessment (an in class paper on why photosynthesis is important to us

Lesson 12
Students will complete their final assessment.