Lesson Plan 11/13/19

Photosynthesis Intro

Grade: 10
Content Area: Biology

Content/Standards

 BIO.A.3.1: Identify and describe the cell structures involved in processing energy.
 BIO.A.3.1.1: Describe the fundamental role of plastids and mitochondria in energy
transformations.
 BIO.A.3.2: Identify and describe how energy is captured and transformed in organisms
to drive their life processes.
 BIO.A.3.2.1: Compare the basic transformation of energy during photosynthesis and
cellular respiration.
 BIO.A.3.2.2: Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions.
 CC.3.5.9-10.F: Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a
text into a visual form and translate information expressed visually or mathematically
into words.

Prerequisites

Prior to this lesson students will have a basic understanding of what photosynthesis is.
Students will also be familiar with the concepts of conservation of matter and energy

Essential Questions

 What are pigments? What role do pigments play in photosynthesis?

 Why is it important to have multiple types of pigments?
 How are the equations for cellular respiration and photosynthesis related?
 How does the relationship between the reactants and products of the equations justify the
law of conservation of matter?

Materials and Equipment

Laptop, Smartboard, Google slides, guided notes

Instructional Objectives

1
 Given the equations for photosynthesis and cellular respiration, SWBAT write a
paragraph to classify the relationship between the equations as well as justify how the equations
relate to the law of conservation of matter. SWBAT construct a simple model of a chloroplast
IOT demonstrate the fundamental role of pigments in the process of photosynthesis.

Instructional Procedures

 As students enter class, have Do Now projected on smart board.

 Do Now: Photosynthesis brain dump. (5 minutes)

 Take attendance as students enter and work on Do Now.

 Overview of objectives and agenda. (5minutes)

 Review Do Now with class. Call on several students to share responses. Write info on
whiteboard. Confirm knowledge and address misconceptions. (5 minutes)

 Direct instruction (20mins)

 Students copy notes. Terms to know. Catabolic/anabolic. How are these terms related?
Opposites. Processes that take place at cellular level. Transformation of matter and
energy. Is matter created? Is energy created? Emphasize that everything that is “built”
is a result of every aspect of the components that come together to build it. Nothing
disappears, nothing magically appears.

 Students copy notes. More terms to know. Pigments. Draw diagram on whiteboard of
clusters of pigments inside thylakoid membranes of chloroplast. How is the color we see
related to pigments? We see what is reflected. Why do you think pigments are important
to know as we talk about photosynthesis? They absorb light, and plants use light energy
in photosynthesis.

 Notes. Chlorophyll vs. carotenoids. Absorb diff wavelengths, diff colors. How does
plant benefit from having BOTH types of pigments? Allows plants to absorb MORE
light. Why do you think that is important? More light absorbed = more energy= more
photosynthesis

 Group activity. (10 mins)Draw diagram of choloroplast on large whiteboard. Label

according to directions on slide.

 Guided discussion. Display whiteboards. (15 mins). Why do you think the structure of
chloroplast is important. Structure always relates to function. What do you notice about
the way you all drew thlyakoids? Thin, flat, like pancakes (hopefully). Relates to
2
 increased surface area. Pigments are located in membrane. If we’ve got more
membrane, more pigments, more ability to absorb light, more photosynthesis. Show
diagram to explain increased surface area. If just the stack had membrane around edges,
how much surface area? Instead membrane around each pancake. Think about wrapping
dvd’s. Which uses more paper? Individually wrapping? Or wrapping a stack together?

 (5 mins) Guide and call on students to use words to tell me equation for photosynthesis.
Write on slide. Analyze. Are all of the reactants represented in the products?
Conservation of matter. Where is the light energy now? In bonds of glucose. Can we
use that energy? Does something need to happen to it first? Transform to usable energy,
ATP via cellular respiration.

 (5 mins)Guide and write cellular respiration equation below photosynthesis equation.

Show textbook version with ATP represented in product but not reactants. What is
technically wrong with this? Where did this ATP magically come from? Yes, we know
energy is transferred to the ATP, but note we can only get the ATP if the building
components of ADP and P are present as well. Many texts don’t show this for reasons of
keeping it simple, but it violates conservation of matter and what do we know about
matter? Cannot be created or destroyed.

 (10 mins) Compare equations, how are the equations related? How are conservation of
matter and energy represented? Call on students. Review inverse relationship.

 (10 mins) Exit Ticket. Write paragraph explaining how equations are related,
conservation is demonstrated.

Differentiation

Provide guided notes to learners with special needs. Provide students with learning needs
access to all instructor slides and notes, including written answers to guiding questions and
photos of all diagrams.

Lesson Resources

Google slides