Name: Richard Cartagena

PT 8.1: Photosynthesis
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Learning Target
(HS-LS1-5): I can use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light
energy into stored chemical energy.

Guiding Questions
How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live?

Task 1 - Background info

DIRECTIONS: Read the following paragraph and answer the following questions. Refer to your
PT 8.1 notes for the answers. DO NOT GOOGLE ANSWERS, YOU WILL GET THEM WRONG!
Heterotrophs, such as humans and other animals, get energy from the food they consume.
As for plants, they are autotrophs, which means that they use abiotic factors, such as energy
from the sun, and other materials in their environment to make food that is used for energy.
Plants use carbon dioxide, water, and light to create glucose and oxygen. This process is
called photosynthesis (“photo” means “light,” and “synthesis” means “to create”). Plants use
photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is food for plants. Below
is the chemical equation for the process of photosynthesis:

1. Label the following diagram:

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 A Energy

B Carbon Dioxide

C Water

D Glucose

E Oxygen

2. What are the reactants in photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: Carbon dioxide and water.

Formula: CO2+H20

3. What is the catalyst to make photosynthesis happen?

Sunlight

4. What are the products from photosynthesis? Write both the name AND the formula!
Name: Glucose and Oxygen gas.

Formula: C6H1206+O2

5. What gas do plants use during the process of photosynthesis? What gas do plants
produce after the process of photosynthesis has completed?
Plants use carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis. Plants produce
oxygen gas.

6. Autotrophs make their own food using energy from ___________.

Sunlight

7. What is the function of the chloroplasts?

Chloroplasts are specialized structures that absorb energy from the sun and convert
that into chemical energy.

8. What is chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is a molecule in chloroplasts that absorbs sunlight.

9. Explain in your own words, one of the four reasons why photosynthesis is important.

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Photosynthesis is important because it helps produce oxygen that we breathe. Plants
use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. The oxygen is
then released into the air for us and other animals to breathe in. Without oxygen, we
would not be able to live. So, photosynthesis helps keep the air we breathe clean and
healthy.

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Task 2 - Analyzing Articles
DIRECTIONS: Please choose TWO of the following articles and answer the questions in the
charts below. Each answer needs to have at least 3-5 sentences.
Article 1: Scientists Built an 'Artificial Leaf' That Uses Sunlight to Produce Clean Synthetic Fuel
Article 2: As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds
Article 3: Plant scientists have found a way to 'hack' photosynthesis
Article 4: Growing Green on the Red Planet

Article Title : As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds.

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?

This article is related to photosynthesis because it discusses the role of plants in
absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, which is the process by which they
convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

2. What did the scientists discover?

In this article, scientists discovered that under a warming climate, plants and soil
may start absorbing less greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide.

3. Why is this research important?

The research discussed in this article is important because it sheds light on a
potential feedback loop in the Earth's carbon cycle.

Article Title : Scientists Built an 'Artificial Leaf' That Uses Sunlight to Produce Clean
Synthetic Fuel.

1. How is this related to photosynthesis?

This article is related to photosynthesis because the new "artificial leaf" device that is
being developed mimics the process of photosynthesis that occurs in plants.

2. What did the scientists discover?

In the article, the scientists discovered a new "artificial leaf" device that can produce
sustainable syngas without releasing any carbon dioxide into the air. The device
combines incoming light, water, and carbon dioxide with a cobalt catalyst called
perovskite to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can then make syngas.

3. Why is this research important?

This research is important in the article because it provides a sustainable way to
produce syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is widely used in

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 the production of various fuels, drugs, plastics, and fertilizers.

Task 3 - Floating leaf disk lab

DIRECTIONS: Read the following lab experiment.
Materials
● Sodium bicarbonate solution
● Plastic syringe
● 2-3 pieces of Leaf material (spinach)
● 1 straw (to create spinach leaf discs)
● 1 beaker and 1 plastic cup
● 1 small paper plate for each person
● Timer
Procedure
1. Using a marker, write the word “Light” and then your name(s) on your plastic cup.
2. Using the end of a straw, cut out 20-30 leaf disks. Place these disks on the paper towel.
IMPORTANT: AVOID THE LEAF VEINS! THEY WILL RUIN YOUR EXPERIMENT.
a. If the disk gets stuck in the straw, gently blow through the straw to remove it.

3. Remove the syringe plunger and then CAREFULLY place the leaf disks into the syringe
barrel. Use the straw to GENTLY push the disks to the tip of the syringe.
4. Replace the plunger but be careful not to crush the leaf disks. Push on the plunger until
only a small volume of air remains in the barrel (past the 2 mL mark is good).
5. Using the syringe, suck about 20 mL bicarbonate solution into the syringe barrel.
6. Pour the rest of the solution into your plastic cup.
7. Turn the syringe upside down so the tip points upwards.
a. Tap the syringe to suspend the leaf disks in the solution.
b. Once the leaf disks are all floating, GENTLY push out any air in the syringe.

8. Holding your thumb TIGHTLY over the syringe-opening, gently draw back on the
plunger to create a vacuum (you’ll feel it pulling on your thumb. It will probably hurt a bit.
You will survive, I promise.). Hold this vacuum for about 10-15 seconds.
a. Take your thumb off the tip of the syringe and hold it up. The bicarbonate solution will sneak into
the air spaces in the leaf causing the disks to sink.
9. Place the syringe facing upwards on your desk. Hold your thumb on the opening. Then
gently push downward. Hold for about 10-15 seconds.
a. You will have to repeat step 7&8 about 2-3 times in order to get the disks to sink.
10. Once all of your disks are sinking, push out as much solution as you can back into the
cup without crushing the leaf disks! There will be some water left in the syringe.
11. Pull out the plunger and dump out the leaf disks into your plastic cup.
a. If they all (or at least most of them) sink to the bottom you are good so far. If not, you will have to
start all over. :(
12. Place your cup under a consistent light source. Place the cup under the light set up in
class. I will place a cup labeled DARK in a darkened cabinet with zero sunlight.

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 13. Use a timer and observe how many leaves are floating in your cup after each minute for
10 minutes. RECORD your minute by minute observations in TABLE 1 below! If you
forget to do this you will have to START ALL OVER!

Collecting Data
To collect data, you will check the progress of your leaf disks every minute. Count how many
leaf disks are floating after each minute.
Table 1: Floating Leaf Disks
Time Disks Floating in Light Disks Floating in Dark

1 minute 1 0

2 minutes 1 0

3 minutes 1 0

4 minutes 1 0

5 minutes 2 0

6 minutes 2 0

7 minutes 2 0

8 minutes 2 0

9 minutes 2 0

10 minutes 2 0

DATA ANALYSIS:
1. At what time did some of the leaf disks first start to float? At what time did most of the
leaf disks float?
At 5 mins one leaf started to float. Most of them also started to float at 5 mins.

2. Which beaker had more floating leaf disks at the end of the experiment, LIGHT or DARK?
LIGHT.

3. Do you think that all the leaf disks in the LIGHT beaker would float if enough time
passed? Use vocabulary words to explain why.
No I don't believe all leaf disks would float just due to the paste of the energy of the
light and the rate the leafs were floating.

4. What about the leaf disks in the DARK beaker? Use vocabulary words to explain why.
Not one bit do I believe the leaf disk in the dark would all float, just due to the fact that
not one floated the entire time, in my opinion it had to do with either water or
something of that nature.

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 5. What gas is being consumed in photosynthesis? What gas is being produced?
Carbon dioxide is being consumed while oxygen is being produced.

6. Would increasing the amount of light increase the rate of photosynthesis? Explain.
In my opinion, most likely yes, just due to how much light plays a big role and how it
affects the rate of photosynthesis.
7. How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live? (Write 2-3 Paragraphs.
7.

Each paragraph should be 7-8 sentences long)

Plants are organisms that can make their own food. They get their energy through a process
called photosynthesis, which happens in special parts of the leaves called chloroplasts.
Chloroplasts contain a green pigment called chlorophyll that absorbs the energy from
sunlight. This energy is then used to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.
The chemical formula for this reaction is 6CO2 + 6H2O = C6H12O6 + 6O2, where CO2 and
H2O are the reactants and C6H12O6 and O2 are the products. Plants are autotrophs,
basically meaning that they are able to produce their own food using photosynthesis. The
glucose produced during photosynthesis is used by the plant as a source of energy for
growth and other cellular processes. The oxygen produced during photosynthesis is released
into the atmosphere, which is important for life on Earth. The entire photosynthesis process
is caused by enzymes in the chloroplasts that are able to speed up the chemical reactions
involved. The process of photosynthesis can be divided into two stages, the light dependent
reactions and the light independent reactions. During the light dependent reactions, light
energy is absorbed by chlorophyll and used to produce ATP and NADPH. These are energy
molecules that are used to power the light independent reactions. During the light
independent reactions, carbon dioxide is fixed into glucose using the energy stored in ATP
and NADPH. Photosynthesis is a vital process that allows plants to obtain and use the energy
they need to grow and live. It is important to note that photosynthesis is not just important
for plants, but for all living organisms on Earth. Plants are the primary producers of organic
matter and are at the bottom of the food chain. This means that they are the source of food
for all other organisms. Without photosynthesis, life on Earth as we know it would not be
possible.

MASTERY RUBRIC AND COMPLETION CHECKLIST

Learning Target
(HS-LS2-6): I can evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that stable conditions
result in consistent populations within an ecosystem, while changing conditions can
result in a new ecosystem.

Guiding Question
How do plants obtain and use energy they need to grow and live?

1 Concerns (2) Goal Achieved (3) Exceeded Mastery (4)

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 (Similar to a C) (Similar to a B or B+) (Similar to an A or A+)

A score of 2 means you 1) Topic and Content
did everything you My argument has a
knowledgeable and
were supposed to but
your answer may have thoughtful response to the
used some vocabulary learning target(s) and guiding
incorrectly or your use question(s).
of evidence was unclear
2) Use of Evidence and
or missing some
Analysis
important details.
My argument is supported by
information from the
provided class resources
and class activities.
❏ Answered the challenge question?
❏ Real-world examples or
applications used not from the
class activity.
❏ Score 80% or above on the Unit
quiz.
❏ Supported my argument with
information that was not
provided in class and cited
correctly.
❏ Used all score 4 vocabulary.
You need at least 3 boxes
checked from the above boxes to
have a chance at earning a
grade of 4 if you got a 3 on
everything else.

IMPORTANT! Any information used that is NOT learned from class MUST be cited or you will have to
redo the assignment! You must use YOUR OWN WORDS.
Required Vocabulary: If you do not use ALL of the Score 2 words you will get NO CREDIT.

Score 2 Words Score 3 Words Score 4 Words

● Energy ● Energy
● Photosynthesis
● Energy ● Catalyst
● Photosynthesis
● Chloroplasts
● Photosynthesis ● Autotroph
● Chloroplasts
● Oxygen
● Chloroplasts ● Chemical Formula
● Oxygen
● Water
● Oxygen ● Carbon dioxide
● Water
● Glucose
● Water ● Chlorophyll
● Glucose
● Glucose
● Reactant
● Reactant
● Product
● Product
● Catalyst