What Do Plants Eat?

Think about your favorite snack! Do plants have favorite snacks too?

Look at the picture of the plant. What do you think it needs to grow big and strong?

Circle or point to what you think helps a plant grow:
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil
- Air
- Candy

*(Teacher Note: Encourage students to think about what they already know about plants. Guide them to focus on the essential elements for plant growth, clarifying that while soil is important for nutrients, we're focusing on the

Photosynthesis Action Script

Teacher: Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to uncover a super cool secret about plants. Has anyone ever wondered how plants get their food? Do they go to the grocery store like us?

(Pause for student responses. Guide them to understand plants make their own food.)

Teacher: That's right! Plants are amazing because they can make their own food. And their secret recipe is called... Photosynthesis! Can you say that with me? Photo-syn-the-sis!

(Guide students to repeat the word.)

Teacher: Don't worry about the big word; it just means 'making with light.' Let's break down this plant recipe into easy steps.

Ingredient 1: Sunlight!

Teacher: First, every good recipe needs a main ingredient. For plants, it's sunlight! Where does sunlight come from?

(Wait for responses like 'the sun' or 'outside'.)

Teacher: Exactly! The sun gives plants energy, just like the sun gives us energy to play. Our green plant friends have special parts, mostly their leaves, that are like tiny solar panels, soaking up all that sunshine. What color are most plant leaves?

(Wait for responses like 'green'.)

Teacher: Yes! That green color helps them catch the sunlight.

Ingredient 2: Water!

Teacher: What else do plants need to drink? What do we give them when they look thirsty?

(Wait for responses like 'water'.)

Teacher: You got it! Water! Plants drink water through their roots, which are like tiny straws in the ground. The water then travels all the way up to their leaves, where the cooking happens!

Ingredient 3: Air! (Carbon Dioxide)

Teacher: Now, this is a tricky one. Plants also need a special kind of air. It's the air that we breathe out when we exhale, called carbon dioxide. So, when you breathe out, you're helping a plant!

(Demonstrate breathing in and out. Ask students to breathe out gently.)

Teacher: Plants have tiny mouths, called stomata, on their leaves that open up to sip in this air. Can you show me how a plant might sip in air through its leaves? * (Encourage a simple gesture like opening and closing hands gently.)*

The Plant's Delicious Food! (Sugar and Oxygen)

Teacher: So, once plants have sunlight, water, and air (carbon dioxide), they mix it all together in their leaves like a magical blender! And what do they make?

1. Sugar! This is their yummy food! It gives them energy to grow tall and strong, and make yummy fruits and vegetables for us.
   
2. Oxygen! This is the fresh air that we breathe in! Isn't that amazing? Plants make the air we need to live.
   

(Emphasize the give and take: we give plants carbon dioxide, they give us oxygen.)

Teacher: Let's remember the recipe: Sunlight + Water + Air = Plant Food + Air for us!

Teacher: Now, who's ready to become a plant or an ingredient in our Plant Play Activity? We're going to act out photosynthesis! Get ready to move!

Photosynthesis Plant Play!

Objective

Students will kinesthetically demonstrate the process of photosynthesis, identifying the roles of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and the plant in creating sugar (food) and oxygen.

Materials

• Green construction paper (for leaves/plants)
• Yellow construction paper (for sunlight)
• Blue construction paper (for water)
• White construction paper (for air/carbon dioxide)
• Optional: Pre-cut shapes of sun, water drops, air bubbles, and plant leaves.

Instructions

1. Assign Roles (1 minute):

   • Divide the class into four groups: Sunlight, Water, Air (Carbon Dioxide), and Plants.
   • Give each student in the Plant group a green piece of construction paper (representing leaves).
   • Give each student in the Sunlight group a yellow piece of construction paper.
   • Give each student in the Water group a blue piece of construction paper.
   • Give each student in the Air group a white piece of construction paper.

2. Explain Actions (2 minutes):

   • Plants: Stand in the middle, wiggling fingers like roots, and hold up their green paper to the sky (to "catch" sunlight). They are anchored in place.
   • Sunlight: Gently move towards the "Plants," giving them the yellow paper, symbolizing the sun giving energy. They then step back.
   • Water: Move towards the "Plants," giving them the blue paper, symbolizing water being absorbed by roots. They then step back.
   • Air (Carbon Dioxide): Move towards the "Plants," giving them the white paper, symbolizing carbon dioxide entering the leaves. They then step back.

3. The Photosynthesis Process (2 minutes):

   • Once the "Plants" have received the yellow, blue, and white papers, instruct them to "mix" them in front of their bodies (gently wave the papers together).
   • Explain that this mixing is the plant making its food (sugar) and the air we breathe (oxygen).

4. Show Products (1 minute):

   • Have the "Plants" hold up the yellow, blue, and white papers together and then, with a flourish, put them down and pretend to show a hidden "food" item (like a pretend sugar cube) and "release" oxygen (waving hands outwards). Emphasize that they made sugar for themselves and oxygen for us.

5. Repeat and Discuss (Optional, 1 minute):

   • If time allows, repeat the process quickly or ask students to identify the roles and what each ingredient and product represents. Reinforce the cycle.

Teacher Tips for Autistic Students

• Clear, Simple Language: Use direct instructions. Avoid idioms or complex sentences.
• Visual Cues: Use the colored papers consistently. Point to the sun, water, and mouth for air when explaining.
• Movement Breaks: The activity itself is a movement break. Allow for a few extra seconds for transitions.
• Predictability: Explain the sequence of actions clearly before starting.
• Sensory Considerations: Be mindful of students who might be sensitive to touch during the exchange of papers. Model gentle interactions.
• Positive Reinforcement: Praise participation and effort throughout the activity.
• Individual Pace: Allow students to engage at their own comfort level. Participation is key, but pushing too hard can be counterproductive.
• Concrete Examples: Relate the process to things students already know, like cooking a recipe.
• Structured Environment: Maintain a predictable classroom structure during the activity.
• Check for Understanding: Use simple "thumbs up/down" or direct questions (e.g., "What does the plant need?") to gauge comprehension.

Plant Power! How Do Plants Eat?

Name: _______________________

Plants are like magic chefs! They make their own food. Let's remember their secret recipe.

## Part 1: What Do Plants Need? (Ingredients)

Draw a line from the plant to what it needs to make food. You can draw a picture or write the word!

Plant
(Picture of a plant)

Needs:
1. Sunlight

2. Water
   
   
   
   
3. Air (Carbon Dioxide)
   
   
   
   

Part 2: What Do Plants Make? (Products)

Draw a picture of what plants give us and themselves after making food.

1. Food for the plant (Sugar!)

2. Air for us to breathe (Oxygen!)