Leah Solomon and Michelle Ehrhardt
Ozone Chamber setup by Dina Zakaria
Ozone and Photosynthesis Lesson
Grade level 6-9
Standard 4; Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and the physical environment.
6.2a Photosynthesis is carried on by green plants and other organisms containing chlorophyll. In this process,
the Sun’s energy is converted into and stored as chemical energy in the form of a sugar. The quantity of sugar molecules
increases in green plants during photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight.
Objectives:
Students will be able to assess healthy leaves and unhealthy leaves affected by high ozone levels.
Students will be able to predict the impact of ozone damage on photosynthesis.
Materials:
Ionizer, Teflon bag, play dough, duct tape, tubing, cone flower plant, window or fume hood, zip ties, packing tape, ozone
survey, lab procedure handout, Schoenbein strips (made during previous lab), Schoenbein table, pictures of healthy and
ozone damaged cone flower leaves, data/graph worksheet, Readings include: Ground Level Ozone by Robert Mozer; Bad
Nearby by EPA; Good Up High by EPA; What you should know about ozone by Allergy Clean Environments
Time Required:
5 consecutive 40 min class periods.
Procedure:
Day 1: Do Now:
Students complete ozone survey.
1) Distribute Lab procedure handout
2) Assign tasks to students based on Lab procedure handout and build Ozone Environment
Day 2: Do Now:
Evaluate leaves in bag for damage. (Record on data/graph worksheet)
1) Reading assignments in jigsaw format.
a. Students are broken into groups of four and one student from each group is assigned to a specific
reading assignment (re-grouped for reading these students are the “specialists” for this topic)
b. Students go back into their original group and teach members of their group about their specific
area.
Day 3: Do Now:
Evaluate leaves in bag for damage. (Record on data/graph worksheet)
1) Introduction to photosynthesis
a. Students are given new vocabulary on photosynthesis
i. Worksheet for pairs with missing words/definitions
b. Students review the parts/function of the plant
i. Coloring worksheet to be used by group for plant
c. Students review the parts/function of organelles inside the cells.
i. Coloring worksheet to be used by group for plant cell organelle.
Day 4: Do Now:
Evaluate leaves in bag for damage. (Record on data/graph worksheet)
1) Anatomy of a Leaf
a. Coloring page function
2) Photosynthesis formula
a. Both written and chemical formula.
b. Using periodic table to review elements involved.
Day 5: Do Now:
Evaluate leaves in bag for damage. (Record on data/graph worksheet)
1) Students graph data on bottom of data/graph worksheet.
2) Students compare graphs and evaluate assessment questions.
Assessment:
1) Evaluate graph.
2) What types of ozone are there and where are they located.
Ground level ozone found in the troposphere and protective ozone layer found in the stratosphere.
3) What effect has ozone had on the plants you observed this week? Is this good or bad? Why?
The plants suffered because we observed small black dots (stippling) forming on the leaves. This is bad because
it is showing the plant was damaged.
4) Is surface ozone a serious environmental problem, especially on Long Island?
The American Lung Association reported that Suffolk County had second highest ozone in state and stunts plant
growth and productivity.
5) Is the Cone Flower plant which we used in our experiment sensitive to ozone?
Yes the Cone Flower is sensitive it will show stippling as well as, chlorosis (yellowing of the leaf), and necrosis
(blackening death of the leaf).
6) Can ozone damage affect plants so much that their yield (how much is produced) decreased?
Yes, plants are stressed and produce less. Spinach crops can be wiped out do to the effect on the leaves which
would have been eaten.
7) Can you have an impact on ozone air pollution? If yes how?
Ozone is made from gases produced by cars so if we use walking, biking, public transportation more we could
produce fewer gases that can interact with other gases to produce less ozone.
8) Do you know anyone who has problems breathing, such as asthma? Do you think ozone impacts
their ability to breathe?
Most students will know someone with asthma and yes on high ozone day’s people with respiratory problems
suffer.
References:
Preparation of Schoenbein strips and color scale
http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/lee/tropo.html
Ozone survey
http://www.geo.sunysb.edu/bad-ozone/files/Download/ozone%20lesson%20plans-dina.doc
Readings
Ground Level Ozone by Robert Mozer
http://www.geo.sunysb.edu/bad-ozone/files/Download/ozone%20for%20teachers.pdf
Good Up High and Bad Nearby by EPA
http://www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/gooduphigh/index.html
What You Should Know About Ozone
http://allergyclean.com/article-whatyoushouldknowozone.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/edu/O3Training/index.cfm
Name ________________________________________________Period ___________
Teacher/ Lab Number_______
Date ___________
Materials: 1 large cone flower in a pot with at least four shoots off the stem, 1 small room ionizer, 1
large Teflon bag, 1 piece of string
Day 1:
Creating an ozone chamber Procedure:

Fold a small portion of the sealed end of the teflon bag and cut with the scissors a very small
portion of the fold to make a small hole.

Place the ionizer in the bag and a schoenbein strip or ozone badge.

Seal the opening by tying it with a string.

Through the hole, insert 3-4 leaves from the coneflower.

Turn on the grow lamp, directing the light directly on the plant and the leaves within the
chamber.

Turn on the ionizer, note the time and damage symptoms exhibited by the leaves.
Day 2
1.) Create a data table from the data table handout.
2.) Remove the Schoenbein strip and compare to the Schoenbein table known ozone exposure.
3.) Record data for level of ozone after 24 hrs.
Day 3
1.) Remove the Schoenbein strip and compare to the Schoenbein table known ozone exposure.
2.) Record data for level of ozone after 24 hrs.
Day 4
1.) Remove the Schoenbein strip and compare to the Schoenbein table known ozone exposure.
2.) Record data for level of ozone after 24 hrs.
Day 5
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
Remove the Schoenbein strip and compare to the Schoenbein table known ozone exposure.
Record data for level of ozone after 24 hrs.
Graph data.
Evaluate data and ozone impact.
References:
Preparation of Schoenbein strips and color scale
http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/lee/tropo.html
Ozone survey
http://www.geo.sunysb.edu/bad-ozone/files/Download/ozone%20lesson%20plans-dina.doc
Name:
Period:
Teacher:
Date:
Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability.
This is NOT a quiz; they are questions for surveying purposes.
1. Are there different types of Ozone? YES/ NO/ I don’t Know
2. Can Ozone be harmful to plants and humans? YES/ NO/ I don’t know
3. Is Surface Ozone a serious environmental problem, especially on Long Island? YES/ NO/
I don’t know
4. Are there specific plants that display sensitivity to ozone?
YES/ NO/ I don’t know
5. Can the damage to plants eventually lead to a decrease in crop yield?
YES/ NO/ I don’t know
6. Is air pollution a relatively important topic to you? YES/ NO/ I don’t know
7. Is Ozone a problem for people with respiratory conditions?
YES/ NO/ I don’t know
Name
Teacher/ Lab
Number
Period
Date
Color
Scale
Day
1
2
3
4
Damage on
Leaf
7
7
7
7
1
2
3
3
Name
Teacher/ Lab
Number
Period
Date
Color
Scale
Day
1
2
3
4
Damage on
Leaf
Name ___________________________________________________ Period _________
Teacher/Lab ____________
Date _____________
Anatomy of a plant
Label color the parts of the plant cell. Below write the function of the cellular components below.
Cell wall _____________________________________________________________
Cell membrane ________________________________________________________
Cytoplasm ____________________________________________________________
Vacuole ______________________________________________________________
Nucleus ______________________________________________________________
Ribosome ____________________________________________________________
Golgi Body ____________________________________________________________
Mitochondrion _________________________________________________________
Name ___________________________________________________ Period _________
Teacher/Lab ____________
Date _____________
Parts and function of a plant:
Name ___________________________________________________ Period _________
Teacher/Lab ____________
Date _____________
Vocabulary for photosynthesis
Name __________________________________________________ Date _________
Photosynthesis Worksheet
Chloroplasts
Photosynthesis is a process in which sunlight energy is used to make glucose. The site of photosynthesis is in the
chloroplast – a organelle found in the leaves of green plants. The main
functions of
chloroplasts are to produce food (glucose) during photosynthesis, and
to store food
energy. Chloroplasts contain the pigment, chlorophyll. Chlorophyll
absorbs most of
the colors in the color spectrum, and reflects only green and yellow
wavelengths of
light. This is why we see leaves as green or yellow – because these
colors are
reflected into our eyes.
1. What is photosynthesis?
2. Where does photosynthesis occur?
3. What are chloroplasts and where are they found?
4. What are the two main functions of chloroplasts?
5. Why doe most leaves appear green?
6. What is the primary pigment found in the chloroplast?
Photosynthesis
Glucose is another name for sugar. The molecular formula for glucose in C 6H12O6. Plants make sugar by using the
energy from sunlight to transform CO2 from the air with water from the ground into glucose. This process, called
photosynthesis, occurs in the chloroplast of the plant cell. During this process, oxygen (O2) is created as a waste
product and is released into the air for us to breath. The formula for photosynthesis is:
CO2 + H2O + sunlight ---- C6H12O6 + O2
This formula says that carbon dioxide and water molecules are combined with the energy from sunlight to produce
sugar and oxygen. The reactants in photosynthesis (what is used) are CO2, water and sun. The plant gets water
from the ground through its roots. The plant collects carbon dioxide from the air. Much of the carbon dioxide
comes from living organisms that exhale it, but some also comes from factory smokestacks and car fumes.
7. What is the formula for photosynthesis?
8. What three things are used to make glucose in photosynthesis?
9. Where does the water come from?
10. Where does the water enter the plant?
11. What are some sources of CO2?
12. What type of energy does the plant use to convert CO2 and H2O into sugar?
The products (what is made) are glucose and oxygen. The glucose produced is used by the plant for energy and
growth. We also use this glucose by eating plants. The oxygen produced is released into the air for us to breath.
Photosynthesis is essential for all life on earth, because it provides food and oxygen.
13. What is produced in photosynthesis?
14. What is the glucose used for?
15. What is the oxygen used for?
Vocabulary word
Definition
a process in which sunlight energy is used to
make glucose.
chloroplast
glucose
pigment found in green plants
formula for
glucose
H2O
CO2
O2
energy from the sun
Vocabulary word
Definition
photosynthesis
organelle found in plant cells in green leaves
where photosynthesis takes place.
food made by and stored in plants
chlorophyll
C6H12O6
H2O
CO2
O2
sunlight