Name: _____________________ Date: _______________ Illuminating Photosynthesis For this activity, you will be accessing the following website and participating in a series of photosynthesis activities. Clink on the link below. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah/photosynthesis.html# Once you reach the main page, click the glucose molecule. The page will load and you will be ready to begin your activity. First, read the short poem under Illuminating Photosynthesis. Fill in the blanks to complete the poem below: This feature reveals the secret of life Or at least it reveals a small bit. It shows how a plant uses ___________ from the ___________ And from this how we all benefit. It shows you how plants create ____________. It shows you the cycle of gases It asks you some relevant questions that aren’t asked in life science classes. Assignment 1: At the top, there are three, green rectangles. Click the green rectangle that says “THE CYCLE.” You should see a picture of a girl by a plant and window. Read the short paragraph on the image. 1. First, click the blue blind. What happens? 2. Next, click on the red watering can. What happens? 3. Finally, click on the girl. What happens? Answer the following questions: 4. What is happening with the red and green dots? What do they represent? 5. How does this represent what you know about photosynthesis? Assignment 2: Click the green rectangle that says “ATOMIC SHUFFLE.” You should see an image of a tree. Read the short paragraph at the bottom and then click “Next.” This will take you to a deeper look into the leaves of the tree. There, you will see many water molecules of H2O. 1. Draw a water molecule: Read the short paragraph at the bottom and click “Next.” You will see movement of the H2O molecules. Read the brief explanation of what is happening. (You can click “Replay” to watch the movement again.) 2. In your own words, what happens to the oxygen molecules in this image? When you are finished answering this question, click “Next.” You will see carbon dioxide molecules appear. 3. Draw a CO2 molecule. 4. How does the carbon dioxide enter the leaf? When you finish answering the questions, click “Next.” Read the paragraph at the bottom and watch the movement of molecules. You can click “Replay” to watch it again. 5. When the molecules combine, together they form what? Click “Next,” when you are finished reading. Read the paragraph at the bottom and watch the movement of molecules. You can click “Replay” to watch it again. 6. What is formed in this scene? (Hint: It is something sweet! ☺) Finally, when you are finished with this question, click “Next.” 7. Read the last paragraph and copy down the equation for photosynthesis. ___________+____________ _____________+____________+____________ Assignment 3: Next click the green rectangle that says “THREE PUZZLERS.” Puzzler 1: Read the first puzzler and then make your selection. 1. A tree inhales carbon dioxide; it needs to if it’s to survive. But, can it release enough oxygen to keep just one person alive? __________________ 2. If it can, how many people can it keep alive? ________________________________ Puzzler 2: Read the second puzzler and then make your selection. 3. A plant needs its own food to function. It can’t make its own food at night. Beyond a few hours of darkness, can a plant stay alive without light? __________________ Puzzler 3: Read the third puzzler and then make your selection. 4. A plant that receives the nutrition it needs, will continue to live, we now know. But what if we took all its oxygen away? Do you think that the plant could still grow? ___________________________ Assignment 4: How did we discover Photosynthesis? Now click on the next website to see who figured out where plants got their food: http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_photosynth/ 1. From where did von Helmont believe plants got their food? __________________ 2. Why did von Helmont eliminate this as a source of food and focus only on water? 3. Where do plants make their food? ________________________________________ 4. What were the other two ingredients von Helmont didn’t know about but were still needed for photosynthesis? _____________________ and ____________________ 5. What chemical stores the sun’s energy? _________________________________________ 6. Describe an experiment we might use to prove that plants really use carbon dioxide: 7. Describe an experiment we might use to prove that plants get energy from the sun: Assignment 5: What is the best light for Photosynthesis? Now click on the next website to see which light is best for photosynthesis: http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html Read the information to the left of the grow room before starting. 1. What scientific question are we trying to answer in this experiment? 2. You are familiar with the visible color spectrum (ROYGBIV). Which color or colors do you believe are best for plant growth? 3. In this experiment, you will be starting with lettuce to answer the scientific question. Click on the lettuce button in our grow room. 4. Next, change the color on the left grow room by clicking the up arrow until “violet” is selected. 5. Leave the right grow room on the color “red.” 6. Click the light switch to begin the experiment. 7. Is violet light the same, worse, or better growth than red light? _____________________________ 8. Next, repeat steps 3‐6 by clicking the reset, but this time use the blue light on the left grow room. 9. Is blue light the same, worse, or better growth than red light? ______________________________ 10. Next, repeat steps 3‐6 by clicking the reset, but this time use the green light on the left grow room. 11. Is green light the same, worse, or better growth than red light? _____________________________ 12. Finally, repeat steps 3‐6 by clicking the reset, but this time use the orange light on the left grow room. 13. Is orange light the same, worse, or better growth than red light? ____________________________ 14. Analyze your experiment. Which color light (or lights) is best when growing plants? 15. Repeat the experiment, but this time use radish as the plant. Which color light is best for growing radishes? 16. Repeat the experiment, but this time use spinach as the plant. Which color light is best for growing spinach? 17. What conclusion can you make about the best light for photosynthesis?