1. Bellwork: What is photosynthesis and why is it important in nature?
Using the sentence frame below, answer the following question:
What is photosynthesis and why is it important in nature?
“Photosynthesis is _________. Photosynthesis is important in nature because _________.”

2. Next Generation Science Standards
MS-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

3. Objectives: Content Objectives: Language Objectives:
Describe the process of photosynthesis.
Complete a lab on law of conservation of mass.
Describe two ways in which photosynthesis is important.
Define, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, cellular respiration, stoma, and transpiration.
Explain what photosynthesis is and why it is important in nature using the following sentence frame: “Photosynthesis is ____________. Photosynthesis is important in nature because _______.”

4. Photosynthesis To insert this slide into your presentation
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6. Vocabulary:
Photosynthesis: is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make food.
Chlorophyll: a green pigment that absorbs light energy.
Cellular respiration: the process by which plants break down glucose and other food molecules to get energy.

7. Vocabulary: Stoma: an opening in the leaf’s epidermis.
Transpiration: the loss of water from leaves in the form of water vapor.

8. Photosynthesis:

9. Chlorophyll:

10. Cellular Respiration

11. Stomata

12. Transpiration

13. Capturing Light Energy
Plant cells have organelles called chloroplasts.
Chloroplasts are surrounded by two membranes.
Inside the chloroplast, another membrane forms stacks called grana.
Grana contains chlorophyll.

15. Capturing Light Energy
Sunlight is made of many different wavelengths of light.
Chlorophyll absorbs these wavelengths.
The plant reflects more wavelengths of green light than any other color, that is why most plants look green.

16. Making Sugar
The light energy that is captured by the chlorophyll is used to help form glucose molecules.
In turn, oxygen gas is given off by plant cells.

17. Making Sugar

19. Skittles Lab
In this lab we will look at the law of conservation of mass/matter. This goes back to our lesson on chemical reaction. After all, photosynthesis is a type of chemical reaction.

20. Getting Energy from Sugar
Plants use glucose molecules to store energy.
To get energy, plant cells break down the glucose and other food molecules in a process called cellular respiration.
During the process of cellular respiration, the plant cells use oxygen, then the cells give off carbon dioxide and water.
Any left over glucose is converted to another type of sugar called sucrose or stored as starch.

21. Cellular Respiration

22. Gas Exchange
Carbon Dioxide enters the plant’s leaves through the stomata.
Each stoma is surrounded by two guard cells.
The guard cells act as double doors, opening and closing the stoma.
When stomata are open, carbon dioxide enters the leaf.
The oxygen produced during photosynthesis is then released through the stomata.

23. Gas Exchange Water vapor also exits the stomata (transpiration).
The water replenishes itself through the absorption of water in the roots.
Sometimes, more water is lost through a plant’s leaves than is absorbed by the plants roots. When this happens, the plant wilts.

24. Gas Exchange

25. The Importance of Photosynthesis
Plants and other photosynthetic organisms form the base of nearly all food chains.
During photosynthesis, plants store light energy as chemical energy.
Some animals use the chemical energy when they eat plants.
Other animals get energy from plants indirectly.
Some animals eat other animals who eat plants.

26. The Importance of Photosynthesis
Most organisms cannot survive without photosynthetic organisms.
Photosynthesis provides oxygen that animals and plants need for cellular respiration.

27. The Importance of Photosynthesis