Photosynthesis Vocabulary Challenge!

Directions: Use your notes, the reading, and the slide deck to define the following terms in your own words. Then, draw a small picture or symbol to help you remember each word.

Part 1: Key Players

1. Photosynthesis:
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

2. Chloroplast:
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

3. Chlorophyll:
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

4. Stomata (singular: stoma):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

Part 2: Ingredients & Products

5. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

6. Water (H₂O):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

7. Sunlight (Light Energy):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

8. Glucose (Sugar / C₆H₁₂O₆):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

9. Oxygen (O₂):
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Picture/Symbol:
   
   
   

Part 3: The Steps

10. Light-Dependent Reactions:
    Definition:
    
    
    
    Picture/Symbol:
    
    
    

11. Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle):
    Definition:
    
    
    
    Picture/Symbol:
    
    
    

Part 4: The Big Picture

12. Cellular Respiration:
    Definition:
    
    
    
    Picture/Symbol:
    
    
    

Photosynthesis: How Plants Feed the World (and You!)

Have you ever wondered how a tiny seed grows into a huge tree, or how a plant makes the juicy apple you eat? The answer is a super important process called photosynthesis. It's how plants, algae, and some bacteria create their own food using sunlight.

The Plant's Own Food Factory

Think of a plant leaf as a tiny, efficient food factory. This factory needs three main ingredients to work:

1. Sunlight: This is the energy source. Just like a factory needs electricity, the plant needs light energy to power its food-making process. The plant uses a special green pigment called chlorophyll to capture this sunlight. Chlorophyll is why most leaves look green!

2. Water (H₂O): Plants absorb water from the soil through their roots. This water travels up to the leaves, ready to be used in the food factory.

3. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): This is a gas found in the air. Animals (like us!) breathe out carbon dioxide, and plants take it in through tiny holes on their leaves called stomata (say: STOH-mah-tuh). You can think of stomata as tiny mouths that open and close to let gases in and out.

The Two Main Steps of Photosynthesis

The photosynthesis factory has two main work areas:

Step 1: Light-Dependent Reactions (The "Light-Catching" Part)

This first step needs light from the sun. It happens in small, flat sacs inside the chloroplasts called thylakoids (say: THIGH-luh-koids). During this step:

• Water (H₂O) is split apart.
• Oxygen (O₂) gas is released into the air – this is the oxygen we breathe!
• Energy from the sunlight is captured and stored in special molecules called ATP and NADPH.

Think of this step like charging batteries. Sunlight energy charges up ATP and NADPH, which are like tiny energy packets for the next step.

Step 2: Light-Independent Reactions (The "Sugar-Making" Part) - Also Called the Calvin Cycle

This second step does not need direct sunlight, but it uses the energy made in Step 1. It happens in the fluid part of the chloroplast, outside the thylakoids, called the stroma (say: STROH-muh). During this step:

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air is taken in.
• The stored energy from ATP and NADPH (the "charged batteries") is used.
• Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), a type of sugar, is created! This is the plant's food, and it can be stored or used by the plant for energy and growth.

The Amazing Products

So, what does photosynthesis produce? Two incredibly important things:

• Glucose (Sugar): This is the plant's food. Plants use glucose for energy to grow, make new leaves, flowers, and fruits. When we eat plants, we are eating the stored glucose they made!
• Oxygen (O₂): This is released into the atmosphere as a waste product, but it's vital for almost all living things, including humans and animals, to breathe.

Why Photosynthesis Matters (to You!)

Photosynthesis is not just something plants do; it's essential for almost all life on Earth. Here's why:

• Our Food: Every meal you eat, whether it's a vegetable, fruit, or meat from an animal that ate plants, ultimately depends on photosynthesis.
• The Air We Breathe: Without the oxygen produced by plants, animals and humans could not survive.
• Energy for Ecosystems: Photosynthesis is the first step in most food chains. It captures energy from the sun and converts it into a form that living things can use.
• Climate Regulation: Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air. This helps to keep the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere balanced, which is important for Earth's climate.

Modeling Photosynthesis: A Plant's Food Factory!

Goal: To create a visual model of photosynthesis, showing the inputs, outputs, and key steps.

Materials Needed (per group):

• Large piece of paper or poster board
• Colored markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Optional: construction paper (green, blue, yellow, brown), glue, scissors
• Your brain and teamwork!

Instructions:

1. Work in Teams: You will work in small groups of 2-3 students.

2. Title Your Model: Give your model a creative title related to photosynthesis.

3. Draw a Plant: Start by drawing a simple plant (maybe a leaf with roots) in the center of your paper.

4. Show the Ingredients (Inputs):

   • Draw or label where Sunlight comes from and how the plant gets it.
   • Draw or label where Water (H₂O) comes from and how the plant gets it.
   • Draw or label where Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) from the air comes from and how the plant gets it (think tiny holes!).
   • Use arrows to show these ingredients entering the plant.

5. Identify the Factory Sections (Chloroplasts):

   • Inside a leaf, draw a simplified chloroplast (maybe a green oval or rectangle).
   • Inside your chloroplast, show two main areas:
     • Thylakoids: Draw small stacks of flattened sacs (like tiny pancakes) and label them "Thylakoids." This is where the Light-Dependent Reactions happen.
     • Stroma: Label the space surrounding the thylakoids as "Stroma." This is where the Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle) happen.

6. Illustrate the Light-Dependent Reactions (Step 1):

   • From the sunlight and water, draw arrows leading to the Thylakoids.
   • Show Oxygen (O₂) released from the Thylakoids and exiting the plant (use arrows!).
   • Show ATP and NADPH (energy carriers) being produced in the Thylakoids and moving to the Stroma.

7. Illustrate the Light-Independent Reactions (Step 2 / Calvin Cycle):

   • From the Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), draw an arrow leading to the Stroma.
   • Show the ATP and NADPH from the Light-Dependent Reactions entering the Stroma.
   • Inside the Stroma, show Glucose (Sugar / C₆H₁₂O₆) made and exiting the chloroplast (use arrows!). This is the plant's food.

8. Add Labels and Explanations:

   • Label all major parts: Plant, Leaf, Roots, Sunlight, Water, Carbon Dioxide, Chloroplast, Thylakoids, Stroma, Oxygen, Glucose, ATP, NADPH, Light-Dependent Reactions, Light-Independent Reactions.
   • Briefly explain what happens at each stage (Light-Dependent and Light-Independent) next to your drawings.

9. Color It In! Use colors to make your model clear and easy to understand (e.g., green for chlorophyll, yellow for sunlight, blue for water).

10. Present Your Model (Optional): Be ready to explain your model to the class, pointing out how plants turn sunlight, water, and CO₂ into sugar and oxygen.

Photosynthesis Vocabulary Challenge! - Answer Key

Directions: Use your notes, the reading, and the slide deck to define the following terms in your own words. (Student answers may vary slightly but should capture the core meaning.)

Part 1: Key Players

1. Photosynthesis:
   Definition: The process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create their own food (sugar/glucose) and release oxygen as a byproduct.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Sun, plant, arrow to sugar + oxygen)

2. Chloroplast:
   Definition: The organelle (part of a plant cell) where photosynthesis takes place. It contains chlorophyll and the structures for both light-dependent and light-independent reactions.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Oval shape with stacks of discs inside)

3. Chlorophyll:
   Definition: The green pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs sunlight energy, essential for the start of photosynthesis.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Green circle, sun absorbing light)

4. Stomata (singular: stoma):
   Definition: Tiny pores or openings, usually on the underside of leaves, through which gases (like carbon dioxide and oxygen) enter and exit the plant.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Small mouth-like opening on a leaf)

Part 2: Ingredients & Products

5. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂):
   Definition: A gas present in the atmosphere that plants take in through their stomata and use as a raw material to build sugar during photosynthesis.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., CO2 molecule, arrow into leaf)

6. Water (H₂O):
   Definition: A liquid absorbed by the plant roots that is used as a reactant in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Water droplet, arrow into roots)

7. Sunlight (Light Energy):
   Definition: The electromagnetic energy from the sun that provides the initial energy input for photosynthesis.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Sun with rays hitting a leaf)

8. Glucose (Sugar / C₆H₁₂O₆):
   Definition: The simple sugar produced by plants during photosynthesis, which serves as their primary food source and energy storage molecule.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Sugar cube, energy bolt, plant storing food)

9. Oxygen (O₂):
   Definition: A gas released as a byproduct during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, which is essential for the respiration of most living organisms.
   Picture/Symbol: (e.g., O2 molecule, arrow out of leaf)

Part 3: The Steps

10. Light-Dependent Reactions:
    Definition: The first stage of photosynthesis that requires sunlight. Water is split, oxygen is released, and energy carriers (ATP and NADPH) are produced.
    Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Sun shining on thylakoids, oxygen bubbles)

11. Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle):
    Definition: The second stage of photosynthesis (also called the Calvin Cycle) that does not directly require sunlight. Carbon dioxide is converted into glucose using the ATP and NADPH from the light-dependent reactions.
    Picture/Symbol: (e.g., CO2 entering a cycle, sugar exiting)

Part 4: The Big Picture

12. Cellular Respiration:
    Definition: The process by which cells break down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen to release energy (ATP) for cellular activities. It is essentially the reverse of photosynthesis.
    Picture/Symbol: (e.g., Person breathing, sugar + oxygen entering a cell, energy bolt)

Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration: The Circle of Life Project!

Goal: To demonstrate your understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, including their key processes, inputs, outputs, and the interconnected relationship between them.

Choose Your Project!

You will choose ONE of the following project options to complete. Be creative and show what you know!

Option 1: The "Life Cycle" Diagram/Model

Create a large, detailed diagram or 3D model that visually represents BOTH photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Your model should clearly show:

• The overall equations for both processes.
• Inputs (reactants) and Outputs (products) for each.
• Where each process occurs (chloroplasts, mitochondria).
• Arrows showing the flow of matter and energy between the two processes (how they depend on each other).
• Key vocabulary terms clearly labeled and defined (e.g., chlorophyll, glucose, ATP, CO₂, O₂, H₂O).
• Color-coding to make it easy to understand.

Possible formats: Large poster, digital infographic (using tools like Google Slides, Canva), diorama, mobile.

Option 2: "Plant & Animal Dialogue" Script

Write a short script (2-3 pages) where a plant and an animal (or two different organisms) have a conversation about their daily lives, focusing on how they use and contribute to photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Your script should:

• Include accurate scientific information about both processes.
• Clearly explain the inputs and outputs of each.
• Show how the plant and animal depend on each other through these processes.
• Use at least 8-10 key vocabulary terms correctly within the dialogue.
• Be engaging and creative.

Possible formats: Short play script, comic strip dialogue.

Option 3: "Ecosystem Energy Flow" Storybook/Presentation

Create a short storybook or a digital presentation (e.g., Google Slides) that illustrates the flow of energy through a small ecosystem, starting with the sun and showing how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are fundamental to all life within that ecosystem. Your story/presentation should:

• Feature different organisms (plants, herbivores, carnivores, decomposers).
• Clearly show how energy is captured (photosynthesis) and released/used (cellular respiration) at each level.
• Explain the role of matter cycling (CO₂, O₂, H₂O) between organisms.
• Include accurate scientific terms.
• Be visually appealing and easy to understand.

Project Requirements (All Options):

• Accuracy: All scientific information must be correct.
• Clarity: Your project should be easy for someone else to understand.
• Completeness: All aspects of your chosen option should be addressed.
• Creativity: Show your unique understanding!
• Vocabulary: Integrate relevant vocabulary terms correctly.

Due Date:

[Teacher will provide due date]

Assessment:

Your project will be graded using the Photosynthesis Project Rubric. Please review it carefully to understand the grading criteria.

Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration Project Rubric