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Name: Raniya Lee

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 Sunlight Energy

B Carbon Dioxide

C Water

D Glucose/Sugar

E Oxygen

2. What are the reactants in photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: Carbon Dioxide + Water

Formula: CO2 + H20

3. What is the catalyst to make photosynthesis happen?

Catalyst helps make photosynthesis happen by the sunlight.

4. What are the products from photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: Glucose + Oxygen

Formula: C6H12O6 + O2

5. What gas do plants use during the process of photosynthesis? What gas do plants
produce after the process of photosynthesis has completed?
The gas plants use during the process of photosynthesis is Carbon Dioxide. The gas
that plants produce after the process of photosynthesis is completed is Oxygen.

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

Autotrophs make their own food using energy from sunlight.

7. What is the function of the chloroplasts?

The function of the chloroplasts is to absorb energy from the sun and convert that
into chemical energy.

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

9. Explain in your own words, one of the four reasons why photosynthesis is important.

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Photosynthesis is important because without it people and animals would not be here
today. And it's important because to the plant it is waste but to people and animals it
isn't. It's what helps us survive and be healthy. So if we didn't have plants around,
people wouldn’t be on earth.

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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 : As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO2, Study Finds

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?

This is related to photosynthesis because they talk about how important CO2 is to
plants.

2. What did the scientists discover?

Scientists discovered that the more CO2 is in the atmosphere that could create a
greener planet.

3. Why is this research important?

This research is important because throughout the next couple years there will be
more extreme weather and dryer soil, and plants need moist soil so they can get the
right amount of CO2 to help them survive that weather.

Article Title : Growing Green On The Red Planet

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?

This is related to photosynthesis because they are talking about how to grow plants
on Mars in the cold environment. So they are going to try to grow it in one of their
homes.

2. What did the scientists discover?

Scientists discovered that if/when plants have better soil the crops grow better.

3. Why is this research important?

This research is important because they are trying to see if they can grow better
crops on Mars without the richer soils and without a warmer
environment/atmosphere.

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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 0 0

2 minutes 0 2

3 minutes 1 4

4 minutes 4 1

5 minutes 7 3

6 minutes 8 2

7 minutes 8 6

8 minutes 9 6

9 minutes 9 10

10 minutes 9 10

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?
During the three minute mark the disk started to float the light that was in the light had
4 and the cup that was in the dark had 1

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

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 think that all the leaf disks in the light beaker would float if enough time passed,
because they got all the energy/resources they needed. while the beaker that was in
the dark didn't have as much because they didn't have the same amount of light.

4. What about the leaf disks in the DARK beaker? Use vocabulary words to explain why.
The beaker that was in the dark didn't have as many leaves floating because they didn't
have the same amount of light.

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

The gas being consumed in photosynthesis is carbon dioxide. And the gas being
produced is oxygen.

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 6. Would increasing the amount of light increase the rate of photosynthesis? Explain.
Yes it would, because the more light that the plant gets the more oxygen that would be
produced.
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 obtain the energy they need by absorbing the carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.
They use the energy to help them grow by storing it in different parts of it.

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.

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.

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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