Breathe In, Breathe Out- Plant Style
Overview
Campers will learn how plants absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to live and
produce oxygen in return. They will learn that plants are a key player in global
warming as they absorb the greenhouse gas CO2. Campers will observe the effects
of carbon dioxide and plant growth by comparing a plant grown with extra CO 2 and a
control plant.
Topic (s)
Grade Level
Cost (per camper)
Time (preparation and activity)
Complexity
Plants and Chemical reactions
3-6
$0.31
30 minutes
Easy
Ontario Curriculum Links
Understanding Life Systems: Grade 4 – Habitats and Communities
Big Ideas:
 Changes to habitats (whether caused by natural or human means) can affect
plants and animals and the relationships between them
 Society relies on plants and animals
Specific Expectations:
 analyse the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with natural
habitats and communities, taking different perspectives into account, and
evaluate ways of minimizing the negative impacts
Understanding Matter and Energy: Grade 5 – Properties and Changes in Matter
Big Ideas:
 There are three states of matter.
 Matter that changes state is still the same matter
 Physical change refers to the fact that a substance can be changed from one
form to another
 Chemical change implies the formation of a new substance
 The properties of materials determine their use and may have an effect on
society and the environment
Specific Expectations:
 evaluate the environmental impacts of processes that change one product into
another product through physical or chemical changes
 identify indicators of a chemical change distinguish between a physical change
and a chemical change
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 use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills to investigate
changes of state and changes in matter
Understanding Earth and Space Systems: Grade 5 – Conservation of Energy and
Resources
Big Ideas:
 energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed
 Choices about using energy and resources have both immediate and long-term
impacts
 Conservation (reducing our use of energy and resources) is one way of reducing
the impacts of using energy and resources
Specific Expectations:
 analyse the long-term impacts on society and the environment of human uses
of energy and natural resources, and suggest ways to reduce these impacts
Theory & Background Information
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy from sunlight to
produce sugar, which is converted into another form of energy (ATP), the "fuel" used by
all living things. The conversion of unusable sunlight energy into usable chemical
energy is associated with the actions of the green pigment chlorophyll. Most of the time
the photosynthetic process uses water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). It also releases
the oxygen (O2) that we absolutely must have to stay alive, and makes glucose
(C6H12O6) that the plant needs to make energy.
We can write the overall reaction of photosynthesis as:
6H2O + 6CO2 ----------> C6H12O6+ 6O2
Greenhouse Effect
As we know, a greenhouse is a small glass house employed to grow plants, especially
in winter. The glass panels of the greenhouse trap heat from the sun and prevent it from
escaping hence keeping the plants warm enough to survive in the winter. Similarly,
when the sun’s rays travel through the Earth's atmosphere, which is made up of several
layers of gases, and reach the planet Earth, the Earth's surface absorbs the solar
energy. This includes the land, water and biosphere. The gases like water vapour,
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone, which are present in the
atmosphere, trap energy from the sun and prevent the heat from escaping back into
space. Though some of the energy passes back into space, most of it remains trapped
in the atmosphere, which causes the Earth to heat up. These gases are known as
greenhouse gases and this natural process of maintaining the earth's average
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temperature and keeping the Earth warm is known as the greenhouse
effect, as it works in the same way as a greenhouse.
Causes for Greenhouse Effect
Along with natural greenhouse gases, there are some man-made greenhouse gases
that keep on increasing in the atmosphere. Human activities like burning of fossil fuels,
coal, oil, natural gas, cutting down and burning trees, etc. generate a lot of carbon
dioxide which causes an imbalance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Use of
aerosols, hairspray cans, fridges, plastics, etc. produce a group of highly dangerous
greenhouse gases called chlorofluorocarbons. These are so harmful that even small
amounts can trap large quantities of heat, making the Earth extremely hot. This
phenomenon is known as global warming, which has a highly dangerous effect on the
Earth.
Consequences of the Greenhouse Effect
As more heat gets trapped in the Earth, the planet will become extremely warm, which
will in turn lead to weather changes throughout the world. Since the climatic conditions
in which we are living are perfect for our survival, any high increase in temperature can
cause drastic changes which can be life-threatening for all living beings on the Earth.
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Weather: In some parts of the world, due to rise in the winter and summer
temperatures, the weather will become very hot. It may rain more in winters,
while summers will become extremely hot. In other parts of the world, the effects
may be completely opposite, as some areas may get very warm while other may
become very cold. Storms, floods, and droughts are some expected
consequences which may affect different areas of the world.
Sea Levels: Increase in the temperature may cause melting glaciers, which will
increase the water in the seas and oceans, sea levels will rise up from 20 to 40
cm all over the world. People living near the lower coastal areas of the world, like
Netherlands and Bangladesh, will be at a higher risk from flooding. As a result,
millions of people may have to leave their homes and large areas of farmland
may also get destroyed.
Farming: The changes in the weather may also cause changes in the amount of
rainfall in different parts of the world. Some places may get heavy rains while in
other places it may not rain at all. Hence, this will affect the crop growth
throughout the world, as crops like wheat and rice grow well in higher
temperatures, whereas crops like maize and sugarcane may not grow.
Therefore, there will be scarcity of food in some parts of the world and people will
suffer from hunger.
Plants and Animals: Due to these weather and temperature changes, many
plants and animals will not be able to cope and will die eventually. For example,
polar bears and seals will have to search for new homes for hunting and living, if
the ice in the Arctic melts. Since natural habitats of plants and animals will get
affected, most species may become extinct.
People: Last but not the least, these weather changes will also bring unwanted
changes in our lifestyle. The consequences of these climatic variations on human
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beings depend on how well we adapt ourselves to the changes, and
how much we can do to minimize them.
By controlling the amount of air pollution production, efficiently using our energy
resources and recycling used materials, we can significantly reduce the different
reasons that contribute to the generation of greenhouse gases, which lead to climatic
changes and global warming in having a better understanding of the greenhouse effect
and its consequences and will encourage them to do their bit to save our planet Earth.
Carbon Dioxide Levels Today
Scientists have been testing complicated models to measure the amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere for the past thousands of years. Their conclusion is that CO 2
levels are now at their highest level in centuries. The reasons for this increase in CO2
are several-fold. Most scientists agree that the increase is mainly due to humans and
their industrial revolution, which releases stored CO2 from underground deposits.
Processes like the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the use of cement are the
most direct causes.
Why is this a problem?
The problem with increased CO2 is its effect on global warming. CO2 is not a
pollutant but it does trap infrared heat from radiating back into space. This phenomenon
is known as the greenhouse effect. This global warming then affects global ecosystems
by having effects on water vapor and other climate features.
If CO2 levels continue to rise, the results to the planet are difficult to gauge.
Some scientists believe that ocean levels may rise, ice caps could melt, droughts could
occur, climates may change, and that life in general would be greatly affected.
This experiment will demonstrate the increase in temperatures that the
production of CO2 causes, but it will also show that excess carbon dioxide with sunlight
can be beneficial to plant growth and how plants are important in reducing global
warming as they absorb excess carbon dioxide from the air.
Materials
Per Group of 2:
 2 germinated plants
 2 plastic pop bottles (2L) - cut in half
 10 Small tart tins
 2 tsp baking soda
 4 tsp vinegar
 Water (for watering the plants throughout the week)
Per Camp:
 3 thermometers
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Procedure
Preparations
1. Plant the seeds weeks before to allow germination and growth
2. Cut bottles in half, ensure they fit over the plants
3. Print out result charts for campers.
Introduction
1. Ask campers if they know what photosynthesis is
a. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy from
sunlight to produce sugar, which is converted into another form of energy
(ATP), the "fuel" used by all living things.
b. Plants convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar using
sunlight
c. Write the photosynthetic reaction on the board
2. 6H2O + 6CO2 ----------> C6H12O6+ 6O2
i. Explain that H2O= water, CO2=carbon dioxide, C6H12O6= glucose (a
sugar) and O2=oxygen
3. Ask campers what they know about the greenhouse effect and global warming
a. Greenhouse Effect- The Earth is wrapped in a blanket of air called the
'atmosphere', which is made up of several layers of gases. The sun is
much hotter than the Earth and it gives off rays of heat (radiation) that
travel through the atmosphere and reach the Earth. The rays of the sun
warm the Earth, and heat from the Earth then travels back into the
atmosphere. The gases in the atmosphere stop some of the heat from
escaping into space. These gases are called greenhouse gases and the
natural process between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called
the 'Greenhouse Effect', because it works the same way as a greenhouse.
The windows of a greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the
atmosphere, keeping some of the heat inside the greenhouse. Draw a
picture like this on the board to demonstrate
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b. Some of the activities of humans also produce
greenhouse gases. These gases keep increasing in the atmosphere.
The balance of the greenhouse gases changes and this has effects on the
whole of the planet. Because there are more and more greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer.
This is known as GLOBAL WARMING.
4. Ask Campers if they can think of some consequences of Global Warming
a. Weather: In some parts of the world the weather will become very hot. It
may rain more in winters, while summers will become extremely hot. In
other parts of the world, the effects may be completely opposite, as some
areas may get very warm while others may become very cold. Storms,
floods, and droughts may affect different areas of the world.
b. Sea Levels: Increase in the temperature may cause melting glaciers,
which will increase the water in the seas and oceans. As a result, millions
of people may have to leave their homes and large areas of farmland may
also get destroyed.
c. Farming: The changes in the weather may also cause changes in the
amount of rainfall in different parts of the world. Some places may get
heavy rains while in other places it may not rain at all. This will affect the
crop growth throughout the world and there may be scarcity of food in
some parts of the world and people may suffer from hunger.
d. Plants and Animals: Due to these weather and temperature changes,
many plants and animals will not be able to cope and will die eventually.
For example, polar bears and seals will have to search for new homes for
hunting and living, if the ice in the Arctic melts. Since natural habitats of
plants and animals will get affected, most species may become extinct.
e. People: Last but not the least, these weather changes will also bring
unwanted changes in our lifestyle. The consequences of these climatic
variations on human beings depend on how well we adapt ourselves to
the changes, and how much we can do to minimize them.
5. Ask the campers what will happen to plants with the increasing amount of carbon
dioxide in the air that is one cause of the increase in global warming
a. Plants may grow better with carbon dioxide as they have greater access to
the carbon dioxide that they need to produce the sugar that is used for
their energy
b. Plants should produce more water vapour as a product of photosynthesis
6. Explain that in this activity we will be using controls to monitor the effect of
carbon dioxide.
a. A control in an experiment is a group or substance that is kept in their
original form. The control is used as a basis to compare the results of the
experiment against.
Activity
1. Hypothesis- Have campers come up with a hypothesis that explains what effect
increased CO2 levels will have on plant growth.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2. Record the temperature of the room, this is equal to the initial
temperature of the experimental and control plant chambers.
Next to the plants, place the small dish with the baking soda in it. Add the vinegar
to this dish. This produces a chemical reaction that will produce carbon dioxide.
Place the plant and reaction dish under a cut soda bottle and place it in a well-lit
area.
Make a control experiment using the same seeds and procedures but without the
dish of baking soda and vinegar.
Monitor the progress of the plant growth, water vapor and temperature for one
week, checking daily.
Compare the data to the control group and enter your data on the chart.
Affects of CO2 on plant growth
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Noticeable water vapour
Daily Temperature
Plant growth
Control
Noticeable Water Vapor
Daily Temperature
Plant Growth
Activity Accommodations and Extensions
Accommodations
- This can be done as a demonstration instead where the whole group will observe
the two plants over the week
- Daily recordings can be done during the camp day if a camper finishes an activity
early
Extensions
- Campers can hypothesize the amount of water vapour, increase in temperature
and effect on plant growth for the CO2 plant and the control
- Campers can be given a variety of the materials and must figure out for
themselves how to create a control for the experiment as well as a reaction in a
chamber that will produce carbon dioxide
Safety Considerations
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Cut pop bottles may have jagged edges, be careful around this or tape
around the cut edge.
Templates
Affects of CO2 on plant growth
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Noticeable water vapour
Daily Temperature
Plant growth
Control
Noticeable Water Vapor
Daily Temperature
Plant Growth
.
Resources
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/esi/1998/p/humansources/Activity.htm
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BiobookPS.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/greenhouse-effect-for-kids.html
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