Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Measure Photosynthesis With Floating Leaves
In this activity, you will be able to observe the oxygen production in leaves by doing a floating leaf disk experiment. You can also find out how quickly plants produce oxygen, and what variables affect photosynthesis.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Energy in Living Systems: Harnessing the Energy of the Sun
Background information on the history of photosynthesis. An explanation for how light is used to assist in making food for plants as the transfer of electrons allows energy to flow through the system.
DOGO Media
Dogo News: Plant Powered Lamps Bring Light to Village in Peru
Read about the amazing development of plant-powered lamps that are bringing electricity to a village in remote Peru. Includes video.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Discovering What Plants Need for Photosynthesis
This activity will be used prior to any direct instruction for photosynthesis. In this inquiry lab, students design and conduct simple experiments using elodea and Bromthymol blue to determine whether plants consume or release carbon...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Photosynthesis and Respiration
Students use the gas sensors to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide consumed or produced by a plant during respiration and photosynthesis. They also determine the rate of respiration and photosynthesis in a plant.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Photosynthesis
Students can use a Colorimeter to compare the rates of photosynthesis for plants in different light conditions. They investigate the role of chloroplasts and light on photosynthesis.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Intro to Photosynthesis
Discussion of the conversion of light energy to chemical energy through the life-sustaining process of photosynthesis. Explores the reactions of photosynthesis, where they take place, and their ecological importance.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Plant Cycles: Photosynthesis & Transpiration
What do plants need? Students examine the effects of light and air on green plants, learning the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. Student teams plant seeds, placing some in sunlight and others in darkness. They make...
BiologyWise
Biology Wise: Green Pigment in Plants
Explains what chlorophyll is, its function, and its chemical structure.
BiologyWise
Biology Wise: Types of Photosynthesis
This resource describes three different types of photosynthesis that take place in plants and the plant characteristics and environmental conditions that determine which type takes place.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Calvin Cycle
Learn about the three stages of the Calvin Cycle reactions: carbon fixation, reduction, and regeneration of the starting molecule. See how the products of the light reactions, ATP and NADPH, are used to fix carbon into sugars in this cycle.
PBS
Newton's Apple: Photosynthesis: How Do Plants Make Food?
This Newton's Apple activity shows young scholars what sunlight does for plants. David explores what happens to plants when the sun is shining and when it is not. He also looks at how plants survive in the desert.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bubbling Plants
Students learn a simple technique for quantifying the amount of photosynthesis that occurs in a given period of time, using a common water plant (Elodea). They can use this technique to compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur...
PBS
Nh Pbs: Nature Works: Photosynthesis
This resource identifies the main parts of the photosynthesis process. Learn more about how sunlight plays in plant growth.
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Norway: What Do Plants Need to Grow Well?
Join Hilde on her trip through the fjords in Norway. Learn more about plants and how plants are able to grow.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Plants, Pigments and Colors
In this hands-on, inquiry based lesson young scholars will see the role of pigments in the in the process of photosynthesis. Students will use the process of chromatography to separate plant pigments. Young scholars will then see the...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: C3, C4, and Cam Plants
Article takes a close look at how the C4 and CAM pathways help reduce photorespiration.
Other
The Plant Cell: Teaching Tools in Plant Biology: Why Study Plants?
Plants are essential for all life and development. Teach your young scholars about this incredible lifeforce with this teaching guide, lecture notes, and PowerPoint presentation. [PDF]
BiologyWise
Biology Wise: Balanced Photosynthesis Equation
Explains how to balance the equation for the chemical reaction that takes place in chloroplasts during photosynthesis.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Plants: Lesson 3
This lesson will explain the role of plants in everyday life. It is 3 of 5 in the series titled "Plants."
Climate Literacy
Clean: Uptake of Carbon Dioxide From Water by Plants
Two simple experimental demonstrations show the role of plants in mitigating the acidification caused when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Energy in the Ecosystem
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart focuses on how plants and animals get energy and different habitats.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Energy Cycle From Plants to Animals
Find out about the essential role energy plays in cell function and in sustaining life. Trace energy transformations as they pass from one living thing to another.
Texas A&M University
Peer Curricula: Story Time: Melvin Calvin
A biography of Melvin Calvin, the chemist who figured out how photosynthesis works. The emphasis of this biography is on his early life, the development of his interest in science, and his education.