Name: Abraham H

PT 8.1: Photosynthesis
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Learning Target
(HS-LS1-5): I can use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light
energy into stored chemical energy.

Guiding Questions
How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live?

Task 1 - Background info

DIRECTIONS: Read the following paragraph and answer the following questions. Refer to your
PT 8.1 notes for the answers. DO NOT GOOGLE ANSWERS, YOU WILL GET THEM WRONG!
Heterotrophs, such as humans and other animals, get energy from the food they consume.
As for plants, they are autotrophs, which means that they use abiotic factors, such as energy
from the sun, and other materials in their environment to make food that is used for energy.
Plants use carbon dioxide, water, and light to create glucose and oxygen. This process is
called photosynthesis (“photo” means “light,” and “synthesis” means “to create”). Plants use
photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is food for plants. Below
is the chemical equation for the process of photosynthesis:

1. Label the following diagram:

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 A Energy

B Carbon dioxide

C water

D glucose

E Oxygen

2. What are the reactants in photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: Reactants are the substance that start the reaction

Formula: CO + H O
2 2

3. What is the catalyst to make photosynthesis happen?

The catalyst speeds up the reaction

4. What are the products from photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: The product is the result of the reaction

Formula: C H O + O
6 12 6 2

5. What gas do plants use during the process of photosynthesis? What gas do plants
produce after the process of photosynthesis has completed?
Plants use Co2 during the start of the process. Plants produce a gas called oxygen
after the proccesof photosynthesis is competed.

6. Autotrophs make their own food using energy from ___________.

Autotrophs use the sun to mke their own food.

7. What is the function of the chloroplasts?

Chloroplasts are specialized structures that absorb energy from the sun and converts that
into chemical energy.

8. What is chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is a molecule in chloroplasts that absorbs sunlight.

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9. Explain in your own words, one of the four reasons why photosynthesis is important.
One reason why photosynthesis is important is because lots of organisms need it.
Energy and food are diverid from it, and oxygen is released into the environment so
that organisms can utalize it.

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Task 2 - Analyzing Articles
DIRECTIONS: Please choose TWO of the following articles and answer the questions in the
charts below. Each answer needs to have at least 3-5 sentences.
Article 1: Scientists Built an 'Artificial Leaf' That Uses Sunlight to Produce Clean Synthetic Fuel
Article 2: As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds
Article 3: Plant scientists have found a way to 'hack' photosynthesis
Article 4: Growing Green on the Red Planet

Article Title : Article 1 🙂

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?
This article is related to photosynthesis by sunlight.

2. What did the scientists discover?

A artificial laef that uses sunlight to produce clean synthetic fuel

3. Why is this research important?

Its important because it can help scientist and the world to improve machines to
mimic the leaf into a healthier way.

Article Title : Article 2 😀

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?
The article is related to photosynthesis by CO2

2. What did the scientists discover?

Scientist found out that plants will absorb less CO2 as climate warms.

3. Why is this research important?

This can affect so much enviornmental life and limit photosythesis.

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Task 3 - Floating leaf disk lab
DIRECTIONS: Read the following lab experiment.
Materials
● Sodium bicarbonate solution
● Plastic syringe
● 2-3 pieces of Leaf material (spinach)
● 1 straw (to create spinach leaf discs)
● 1 beaker and 1 plastic cup
● 1 small paper plate for each person
● Timer
Procedure
1. Using a marker, write the word “Light” and then your name(s) on your plastic cup.
2. Using the end of a straw, cut out 20-30 leaf disks. Place these disks on the paper towel.
IMPORTANT: AVOID THE LEAF VEINS! THEY WILL RUIN YOUR EXPERIMENT.
a. If the disk gets stuck in the straw, gently blow through the straw to remove it.

3. Remove the syringe plunger and then CAREFULLY place the leaf disks into the syringe
barrel. Use the straw to GENTLY push the disks to the tip of the syringe.
4. Replace the plunger but be careful not to crush the leaf disks. Push on the plunger until
only a small volume of air remains in the barrel (past the 2 mL mark is good).
5. Using the syringe, suck about 20 mL bicarbonate solution into the syringe barrel.
6. Pour the rest of the solution into your plastic cup.
7. Turn the syringe upside down so the tip points upwards.
a. Tap the syringe to suspend the leaf disks in the solution.
b. Once the leaf disks are all floating, GENTLY push out any air in the syringe.

8. Holding your thumb TIGHTLY over the syringe-opening, gently draw back on the
plunger to create a vacuum (you’ll feel it pulling on your thumb. It will probably hurt a bit.
You will survive, I promise.). Hold this vacuum for about 10-15 seconds.
a. Take your thumb off the tip of the syringe and hold it up. The bicarbonate solution will sneak into
the air spaces in the leaf causing the disks to sink.
9. Place the syringe facing upwards on your desk. Hold your thumb on the opening. Then
gently push downward. Hold for about 10-15 seconds.
a. You will have to repeat step 7&8 about 2-3 times in order to get the disks to sink.
10. Once all of your disks are sinking, push out as much solution as you can back into the
cup without crushing the leaf disks! There will be some water left in the syringe.
11. Pull out the plunger and dump out the leaf disks into your plastic cup.
a. If they all (or at least most of them) sink to the bottom you are good so far. If not, you will have to
start all over. :(
12. Place your cup under a consistent light source. Place the cup under the light set up in
class. I will place a cup labeled DARK in a darkened cabinet with zero sunlight.
13. Use a timer and observe how many leaves are floating in your cup after each minute for
10 minutes. RECORD your minute by minute observations in TABLE 1 below! If you
forget to do this you will have to START ALL OVER!

Collecting Data

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To collect data, you will check the progress of your leaf disks every minute. Count how many
leaf disks are floating after each minute.
Table 1: Floating Leaf Disks
Time Disks Floating in Light Disks Floating in Dark

1 minute 1 0

2 minutes 4 1

3 minutes 4 1

4 minutes 7 1

5 minutes 9 1

6 minutes 9 1

7 minutes 9 1

8 minutes 9 1

9 minutes 9 1

10 minutes 9 1

DATA ANALYSIS:
1. At what time did some of the leaf disks first start to float? At what time did most of the
leaf disks float?
In the one time zone only 1 leaf started to float, while by 5 minutes 9 leaves were
floating

2. Which beaker had more floating leaf disks at the end of the experiment, LIGHT or DARK?
Light

3. Do you think that all the leaf disks in the LIGHT beaker would float if enough time
passed? Use vocabulary words to explain why.
Yes I believe so, if we just had enough energy.

4. What about the leaf disks in the DARK beaker? Use vocabulary words to explain why.
I believe the dark beaker still woudn’t have worked due to us. It may probably have been
because we wern;t carful enough.

5. What gas is being consumed in photosynthesis? What gas is being produced?

Carbon dioxide is being consumed while oxygen is being produced.

6. Would increasing the amount of light increase the rate of photosynthesis? Explain.

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 Yes the more light the more it will drive the reaction.
7. How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live? (Write 2-3 Paragraphs.
7.

Each paragraph should be 7-8 sentences long)

Plants are autotrophs, which means they create their own food. Plants use the process of
photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen. Then simple
sugars that the plant uses as fuel. Another way of saying the process of photosynthesis is
converting energy from sunlight to produce glucose, which is sugar that makes as the plants
food. After changing sunlight energy into sugar, oxygen is given of as waste.
Plants majorly need energy to grow and live. Everything needs energy to live, every living
entities. Energy is very vital. Thats why its important for plants to go through the process of
photosynthesis. Plants are also food for many other organisms which when the organism eat
the plant it also consumes energy. Plants are a major part all over the worl they consume
Co2 (carbon dioxide), which is very harmful if there is so much into our atmosphere.

MASTERY RUBRIC AND COMPLETION CHECKLIST

Learning Target
(HS-LS2-6): I can evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that stable conditions
result in consistent populations within an ecosystem, while changing conditions can
result in a new ecosystem.

Guiding Question
How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live?

1 Concerns (2) Goal Achieved (3) Exceeded Mastery (4)

(Similar to a C) (Similar to a B or B+) (Similar to an A or A+)

A score of 2 means you 1) Topic and Content
did everything you My argument has a
knowledgeable and
were supposed to but
your answer may have thoughtful response to the
used some vocabulary learning target(s) and guiding
incorrectly or your use question(s).
of evidence was unclear
2) Use of Evidence and
or missing some
Analysis
important details.
My argument is supported by
information from the
provided class resources
and class activities.
❏ Answered the challenge question?
❏ Real-world examples or
applications used not from the
class activity.
❏ Score 80% or above on the Unit
quiz.
❏ Supported my argument with
information that was not
provided in class and cited
correctly.
❏ Used all score 4 vocabulary.
You need at least 3 boxes
checked from the above boxes to
have a chance at earning a
grade of 4 if you got a 3 on
everything else.

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IMPORTANT! Any information used that is NOT learned from class MUST be cited or you will have to
redo the assignment! You must use YOUR OWN WORDS.
Required Vocabulary: If you do not use ALL of the Score 2 words you will get NO CREDIT.

Score 2 Words Score 3 Words Score 4 Words

● Energy ● Energy
● Photosynthesis
● Energy ● Catalyst
● Photosynthesis
● Chloroplasts
● Photosynthesis ● Autotroph
● Chloroplasts
● Oxygen
● Chloroplasts ● Chemical Formula
● Oxygen
● Water
● Oxygen ● Carbon dioxide
● Water
● Glucose
● Water ● Chlorophyll
● Glucose
● Glucose
● Reactant
● Reactant
● Product
● Product
● Catalyst