Curriculum Unit: Food and Nutrition

Topic: Photosynthesis

Objectives:

Show a demonstrated understanding of the written and chemical equations for

photosynthesis.
Importance of light, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis.
Integration of Faith and Learning: Matthew 7:19 Any tree that does not bear fruit is cut down.
(Fruits are the storage organs of glucose which is one of the main products of photosynthesis. If the tree
does not have access to sunlight (God), it will not be able to produce glucose and therefore it will not
have fruit.) Importance of a personal relationship with Christ.

Materials: Video overview of the process of photosynthesis, photosynthesis colouring page

Lesson Plan:

Monday

Students will watch a video giving an overview of photosynthesis and then engage in a discussion
entitled The Importance of Photosynthesis to Life on Earth.

Preparation of experiment to determine whether light is essential for photosynthesis to take place.

Tuesday

Students will observe and draw conclusions from the results of the lab procedure discussed on
Monday.

They will make drawings of the results in their notebooks to supplement their notes.

Friday

Students will engage in a colouring exercise to consolidate the topic of photosynthesis.

Content Outline:

The Photosynthesis Equation- The Chemical Reaction

All chemical reactions have reactants which undergo a change to become products.

A reactant is a substance that takes part in and undergoes change during a reaction.

The reactants in the process of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water.
Carbon dioxide used up in this process is found in the atmosphere the water used is obtained
when plants absorb water through their roots and transport it through their leaves.

A product is a substance that is formed as the result of a chemical reaction.

The products in the process of photosynthesis are glucose and oxygen.

Glucose is food molecule that is used in the process of respiration to convert the chemical energy
into energy that can be used to carry out other processes in the body. Oxygen is necessary for the
production of energy.

Photosynthesis can be represented using a chemical equation.

The overall balanced equation is

6CO2 + 6H2O ------> C6H12O6 + 6O2

Sunlight energy

Where: CO2 = carbon dioxide

H2O = water
Light energy is required
C6H12O6 = glucose
O2 = oxygen

Home-Work/ Assignments/Activities:

Activity 1: Photosynthesis colouring page

Activity 2: Photosynthesis summary table