Teaching notes and ideas – full version
EAL Nexus
Photosynthesis
Name of
resource:
Age group(s)
Subject(s)
8 to 11, 12 to 14, 15 to 16
Science
Topic
Language Level
Photosynthesis
Beginner/Intermediate
Description of resource




Information gap activity
Photosynthesis answers PowerPoint
Matching activity PowerPoint
Question forms worksheet
Preparation needed
You will need:




One worksheet for each learner
Access to a projector if you are going to use the PowerPoint presentation
A set of cards for the matching activity
Bilingual dictionaries (paper or online) if you are using the worksheet for early
stage learners
You will need to:
 Photocopy the information exchange worksheets, sheet A for half the
class/group and sheet B for the other half.
 Photocopy the PowerPoint for the matching activity as a handout with six slides
to a sheet. Cut them out either as individual cards or as question and answer
pairs depending on how you intend to use the game.
 Photocopy the question forms worksheet as required.
Curriculum objectives
 To learn the reactants and products of photosynthesis, and some basic facts
about the process
Language/Literacy objectives
Functions
Structures
 Describing
… is/are …
… grow/grows …
… has/have …
… absorb/absorbs …
… takes place/take place …comes from/come from
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2014
EAL Nexus
 Asking questions
Which part of …?
Where …?
Which part …?
Is/Does …?
What is/does …?
What sort/kind of …?
Vocabulary
absorb, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll, chloroplasts, equation, glucose, leaf, light
energy, oxygen, photosynthesis, respiration, root, soil, starch
This resource could be used:
 whole class
 as differentiation within class
 one to one or small group
Ideas for using the resource
What to do
Information gap activity
 Set up the PowerPoint presentation and hand out the information gap
worksheets. Make sure that you hand them out so that the pupils are in pairs with
one having worksheet A and the other having worksheet B. Tell them not to look
at each other’s sheets.
 Learners work independently initially and try to label the diagram and then
answer the questions.
 After completing as much as they can independently, learners check their
answer with their partner by asking questions. This is an information exchange
activity. You can use the PowerPoint to give pupils some useful phrases to help
as they discuss the work. The PowerPoint gives the answers so that learners
can mark their work. It is important that they do not show each other what is on
their worksheet as the idea is to discuss the answers together.
Matching activity
 The matching activity can be used in two ways. It can be used as pairs cards
where learners need to match questions and answers. Alternatively, the slides
can be cut out with the question and answer joined together. Learners can then
ask each other the questions.
Question forms worksheet
 This worksheet is designed to be used by those learners who are relatively new
to English and is a way of introducing new vocabulary. The wordlist could be
completed as a homework before the lesson so that the learners can access
the lesson. The questions are designed to be completed after they have done
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2014
EAL Nexus
the pair work activity so that they already know the answers to the questions
and are able to focus on sentence construction.
Other ideas for making the best use of this resource
 Learners could revisit the activity as a starter for the next lesson just using the
PowerPoint and trying to answer all the questions with no help.
Possible extension activities
 Learners could try to write their own questions using wh- words on
photosynthesis after being provided with the answers. They can be given clues to
help if needed – for example, they could be told the first word of the question.
 The answers could be given as single words or short phrases on the worksheet
but do not make sense on their own. Learners could write down the answers in
complete sentences using the words in the question to help them.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2014