5E Lesson Plan, Author: Amber Palmeri-Miles, Yakima WATERS Project, CWU, Fall 2010
This lesson is intended to teach students about the process of photosynthesis through background information provided in PowerPoint format with cool music video teaching aid and involves a hands-on inquiring lesson replicating a famous experiment conducted by Joseph
Priestly in 1771. This lesson will take two 45 minute sessions conducted a week apart.
This lesson is target for 6-8 th grade students
Science 6-8 LS2C The major source of energy for ecosystems on Earth’s surface is sunlight.
Producers transform the energy of sunlight into the chemical energy of food through photosynthesis. This food energy is used by plants, and all other organisms to carry on life processes. Nearly all organisms on the surface of Earth depend on this energy source.
Science 6-8 SYSC The output of one system can become the input of another
Science 6-8 INQA Scientific inquiry involves asking and answering questions and comparing the answer with what scientists already know about the world.
Knowledge: Students will be able to identify the components of photosynthesis and explain how plants use Co
2
and release O
2
.
Skill: Students will observe, evaluate and compare a replication of scientific experiment with the initial results from 1771.

Small well watered plant

Candle and lighter

Bright sunny window or grow light

Bell jar or 1 gallon glass jar (no plastic)
 Vacuum plate or deep tray of water
 An envelope of 6 small pieces of black paper representing carbon molecules, 18 small pieces of red paper representing oxygen and 12 small pieces of white paper representing hydrogen per group of 4-6 students.
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Students should know what a plant is, and that plants need sunlight, water and nutrients to grow. They should be familiar with the term photosynthesis and know that it has to do with the energy source of plants. Students should also know that most animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide.
Only a teacher should light the candle and have a container of water or fire extinguisher nearby just in case.
Ask students what the breakdown of the word photosynthesis means. Ask students what is photosynthesis and which organisms can do this.
Conduct the Priestly experiment by lighting a candle on the vacuum plate or tray of water and placing the bell jar over the candle. The candle will go out! Attempt to relight candle, which will not stay lit. Place the well watered plant under the bell jar (if using tray of water make sure the plant is on a pedestal so when the air inside the jar cools and more water is drawn into the jar the plant will not be in the water) with a lit candle, once the candle has burned out place the bell jar on a sunny window sill or under the grow light. Discuss with the students their predictions of what will happen to the plant and have each student write a prediction on a piece of paper stored in their science notebook.
Use a PowerPoint presentation that is interactive to explain the fundamentals of photosynthesis. At the end of the presentation play 2 minute music video of “They Might Be
Giants” photosynthesis song.
Working in groups of 4-6, students will use the pieces of paper that represent molecules to display their knowledge of the reaction of photosynthesis. Each envelope only has enough
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molecules to erect half of the reaction at a time so the students can see that nothing is created or destroyed only rearranged.
Check with each group before they reassemble their reactants into product. Ask the students what is missing from the equation. They should be able to tell you sunlight.
Element
Knowledge
(1, 50%)
Skill (1,
50%)
Excellent
(5 pts)
Student is able to provide a clear, concise, and accurate description of the process of photosynthesis.
Clearly articulates how
CO
2
and H
2
O become glucose and O
2
.
Student is able to arrange the molecules to create 6CO
2
,
6H
2
O, C
6
H
12
O
6 and 6O
2
.
Good
(4 pts)
Student is able to describe the process of photosynthesis.
Knows that the process involves
CO
2
H
2
O glucose and O
2
but has trouble explaining how.
Student is able to arrange the molecules to create most of the compounds of 6CO
2
, 6H
2
O,
C
6
H
12
O
6 and 6O
2
.
In Development
(3 pts)
Student is somewhat able to provide a description of the process of photosynthesis.
Knows most of the parts of the reaction but does not know how photosynthesis works.
Student is able to arrange the molecules to create a few of the compounds of 6CO
2
, 6H
2
O,
C
6
H
12
O
6 and 6O
2
.
Needs Rethinking
(2 pts)
Student has trouble providing a description of photosynthesis.
Has considerable trouble explaining how the reaction takes place.
Student has trouble with arranging the molecules to create 6CO
2
,
6H
2
O, C
6
H
12
O
6 and
6O
2
.
Not Scorable
(1 pt)
Student is unable to provide any kind of description of photosynthesis.
Student cannot arrange the molecules to create 6CO
2
, 6H
2
O,
C
6
H
12
O
6 and 6O
2
.
Ask the students what is photosynthesis and how does it work. Ask the students why photosynthesis is important.
Bring the bell jar and the plant back out, have the students make observations about the plant.
Attempt to light the candle (it should light).
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Ask the students why the candle that has been in an air tight container will now light. Relate this to last week’s lesson on photosynthesis.
Show short film on the Priestly experiment. Have students compare their Priestly experiment results with the results from the film.
Students will hand in the piece of paper with their prediction, results and comparison of our results to the 1771 Priestly experiment.
Element
Knowledge
(1, 50%)
Excellent
(5 pts)
Student is able to provide a clear, concise, and accurate description of the Priestly experiment and with accurate comparisons to the 1771 results.
Skill (1,
50%)
Student is able to provide a clear, concise and accurate explanation of how the Priestly experiment relates to photosynthesis.
Good
(4 pts)
Student able to provide a clear, concise, and accurate description of the Priestly experiment with mostly accurate comparisons to the 1771 results.
Student able to provide a clear, concise and accurate explanation of most of the
Priestly experiment and how it relates to photosynthesis.
In Development
(3 pts)
Student is somewhat able to provide a description of the Priestly experiment. Has some trouble comparing our results with the results from1771.
Student is somewhat able to provide an explanation of how the Priestly experiment relates to photosynthesis.
Needs Rethinking
(2 pts)
Student has trouble providing a description of the Priestly experiment. Has considerable trouble comparing how our results with the results from1771.
Student has trouble with providing an explanation of how the Priestly experiment relates to photosynthesis.
Not Scorable
(1 pt)
Student is unable to provide any kind of description of the Priestly experiment or compare our results with the results from 1771.
Student cannot provide an explanation of how the Priestly experiment relates to photosynthesis.
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Photosynthesis is the process of how plants make energy. This involves the breaking down of carbon dioxide and water molecules by solar radiation to form glucose (plant food) and the biproduct of oxygen. Plants and animals work together exchanging carbon dioxide and oxygen; which is essential for life to exist on earth. In 1771 Joseph Priestly helped to discover the process of photosynthesis. He conducted an experiment where he removed all the oxygen from a jar by burning a candle then attempted to relight the candle. Due to the absences of oxygen the candle would not relight. He then lit a candle with a plant in the jar; once again the candle went out. He left the jar for an extended period of time then attempted to light the candle and it lit even though the no air had been exchanged from outside the jar. This helped to explain how plants use carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
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