Photosynthesis
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to investigate that most producers need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food, while consumers are dependent on other organisms for food.
Essential Understanding
The student knows and understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with one another and with their environment.
Science Background
Biology of Plants: Missouri Botanical Garden (website) - Background about plant needs, growth and development, with links to information of plant parts, how plants make food, plant adaptations, and more.
Biology of Plants
Missouri Botanical Garden, http://mbgnet.net/bioplants/
Photosynthesis: BioCoach (website) - Series of pages and animations that provide a thorough introduction to the science behind photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis
BioCoach, http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/
Signature Lesson
Do Plants Need Light? BioEd Online (website) - Students learn that plants require light, water, air and soil to grow, and conduct investigations that show light is necessary for photosynthesis and the production of new plant material.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Finding the Carbon in Sugar: BioEd Online (website) - Students observe the burning of candle and a small amount of sugar to investigate the energy produced by photosynthesis and stored in carbon-containing molecules in plants, such as sugar.
Finding the Carbon in Sugar
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Plant Parts You Eat: BioEd Online (website) - Students discover that consumers depend on producers for food and learn about stored energy and nutrients in the parts of plants eaten by consumers (including humans).
Plant Parts You Eat
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Do Plants Need Sunlight? Michigan Reach Out! (website) - Students learn that plants need sunlight to survive, and investigate what happens to plants that do not receive sufficient sunlight. Includes assessment and extensions.
Do Plants Need Sunlight?
Michigan Reach Out!, http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Living Sunlight, How Plants Bring the Earth to Life: Science NetLinks (website) - Teach the basics of photosynthesis and the role the sun plays in keeping Earth’s plant and animal life alive and thriving. The illustrations are as much a teaching tool as the text.
Living Sunlight, How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
Science NetLinks, http://sciencenetlinks.com/
Assessment Ideas
Repeat the Signature Lesson, but use corn seeds this time. Have each student write a paper that compares and contrasts the results of the two investigations.
Literature Connections
How a Seed Grows. Jordan, Helene (ISBN-13: 978-0064451079)
From Seed to Plant. Gibbons, Gail (ISBN-13: 978-0823410255
Plant (DK Eyewitness Books). Burnie, David (ISBN-13: 978-0756607159)
Food (Cycles in Science). Riley, Peter (ISBN-13: 978-1575726182)
Photosynthesis: Changing Sunlight into Food. Kalman, Bobbie (ISBN-13: 978-0778723080)
Why Do People Eat? Needham, Kate (ISBN-13: 978-0746013021)
Understanding Photosynthesis with Max Axiom, Super Scientist. O’Donnell, Liam (ISBN-13: 978-1429611602)
The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis. Notkin, Lenore (ISBN-13: 978-0590922463)
Additional Resources
Illuminating Photosynthesis: NOVA (website) - Photosynthesis in plants and a few bacteria is responsible for feeding nearly all life on Earth. Explore this website to explore the basic photosynthesis model.
Illuminating Photosynthesis
NOVA, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
TEKS Navigation
Grade 4
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