Submitted by Nathan Inouye
nathani@ouhsd.k12.ca.us
Marine Science Lesson Plan: Photosynthesis
Cell Biology State Standard:
4. The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical
reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism’s cells. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
f. Students know usable energy is captured from sunlight by chloroplasts and is stored
through the synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide.
Objective: To understand the role that photosynthetic pigments play in marine plants and
phytoplankton.
Background Information:
Marine science is a great way to integrate our own environment to the biology/life science state
standards. It is important to talk about how the ocean environment plays a vital role in the
primary productivity of the biosphere. There are different types of plankton including
phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacterioplankton and more recently discovered viroplankton. The
primary focus of this unit is phytoplankton, the photosynthetic plankton. Even thought the focus
is on how phytoplankton uses photosynthetic pigments to absorb sunlight, I recommend that you
use terrestrial plants in the lab below. If you want to try to use seaweed, there are 3 types of
seaweeds which contain the following different types of photosynthetic pigments:
1. Green algae
Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids
2. Brown algae
Chlorophyll a,c and carotenoids (fucoxanthin and others)
3. Red algae
Chlorophyll a, phycobilins (phycocyanin, phycoerythrin) and
carotenoids.
Lesson Plan:
1. Provide some background information on phytoplankton and seaweed.
Show students the different types of seaweeds (Take a field trip or have samples that you
have collected).
2. Use the microscope lab to get students proficient using the microscope (see below:
Microscope Lab).
3. Identify different types of plankton using the microscope (see below: Plankton Lab).
4. Provide some background information about photosynthesis, plants cells, chloroplasts
and photosynthetic pigments.
5. Identify photosynthetic pigments (see below: Plant Cell Pigments Lab).
Lab Activities Supporting the Unit:
Microscope Lab
Plankton Lab
Photosynthetic Pigment Lab
Name:___________________
Period: ______ Date: _______
Microscope Lab
Introduction: In your own words, describe the purpose of a microscope. What are some
important features of the microscope and how does it work? What are some procedures that
must be taken to safely and properly use the microscope? How do you calculate the total
magnification of a microscope? Write a minimum of 6 sentences.
Purpose: To understand how to use a microscope safely and properly.
Procedures:
1. Examine a piece of newspaper or U.S. dollar bill underneath the microscope. Remember
to use the scanning power first!
2. Draw what you see under the 4x and 10x objective lenses.
3. Draw and label a detailed picture of a microscope.
Observations and Data:
Be as accurate and as detailed as possible in your drawings.
4x
10x
Microscope Drawing: Draw and label the following parts of a microscope: ocular lens, arm,
objective lenses (high, low & scanning), stage, stage clip, course adjustment knob, fine
adjustment knob, diaphragm, base and light source.
Conclusion Questions:
1. List 4 examples of scientific tools and their uses.
2. Why is the use of technology important to science?
3. What is the magnification of scanning power?
4. What is the purpose of using scanning power first?
5. Calculate the total magnification of an object under a microscope if you use a 20x
objective lens and the ocular lens is 10x. Show the formula and your work.
6. If the total magnification of an object under a microscope is 240x and the ocular lens is
6x, what is the magnification of the objective lens? Show the formula and your work
Name:___________________
Period: ______ Date: _______
Plankton Lab
Introduction: In your own words, describe the different types of plankton. What is the role of
phytoplankton in the ocean? What are zooplanktons? What are some examples of
phytoplankton and zooplankton? How are phytoplankton and zooplankton interconnected?
Write a minimum of 6 sentences.
Purpose: To identify various types of plankton.
Procedures:
4. Prepare a glass slide sample of plankton.
5. Draw what you see under the 10x objective lenses.
Observations and Data:
Be as accurate and as detailed as possible in your drawings.
10x
Conclusion Questions:
7. What are the different types of plankton?
8. What is the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton?
9. Draw a simple food chain that includes phytoplankton, zooplankton and three other
organisms.
10. Why is phytoplankton so important to the biosphere?
Name: __________________
Period: ______ Date: ______
Photosynthetic Pigment Lab
Introduction: In your own words, describe what is required for photosynthesis to occur. What
are the products of photosynthesis? Where are photosynthetic pigments located? How can you
determine the type of photosynthetic pigments present in a plant? Write a minimum of 6
sentences.
Purpose: Determine what type of plant pigments can be found in a green plant and red plant.
Procedures:
1. Cut the ends off of 2 filter-papers. Draw a base line about ½ inch from the bottom of 2
filter-paper.
2. Place a green leaf on the line and press it into the filter-paper using a coin. Repeat
process for the red leaf. Staple the filter-paper together to make a cylinder.
3. Add just a small amount of ethanol (20%) and acetone (80%) solution to the bottom of
the beaker.
4. Put the filter paper into the beaker and cover the beaker with a glass plate. Wait 15
minutes, take-out filter-paper and let dry.
Data and Observations:
Green Leaf Observations
Color Observed
Probable Pigment
Red Leaf Observations
Color Observed
Probable Pigment
Key:
Color Observed
Faint Yellow
Yellow
Bright Green
Yellow-green
Red
Plant Pigment
Carotenes
Xanthophyll
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Anthocyanin
Conclusion Questions:
1. Write a balanced equation for photosynthesis.
2. What part of the plant cell does photosynthesis occurs?
3. How many different plant pigments did you observe? What are the names of the plant
pigments?
4. How did the pigments in the green leaf compare with the red leaf?
5. If your plant is green, which color light waves are being reflected? Which are being
absorbed?
6. If you were to shine red light on a red plant, what color would the plant be? Why?