Solid, Liquid, Gas: The Three States of Matter
K-2
1
Photosynthesis: How Plants Make Their Own Food
Lesson Details
Grade Level
6-8
Duration (minutes)
1
Summary
This lesson explains photosynthesis — the process plants use to make their own food. It shows that a plant's mass mostly comes from carbon dioxide in the air, not soil, and walks through the "recipe": carbon dioxide enters through stomata, roots absorb water, and chlorophyll captures sunlight energy to rearrange these ingredients into glucose (the plant's food) and oxygen (released as a byproduct). It clarifies a common misconception: sunlight is energy, not food — the food is the glucose the plant makes itself.
Student Worksheet: Photosynthesis
Teacher Note: Students can watch the video lesson above and answer the questions. Click the “Teacher Answer Key” dropdown below when you are ready to review the solutions!
Key Concepts:
• Photosynthesis: The process plants use to make sugar (glucose) using carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight.
• Chlorophyll: The green material inside chloroplasts that captures sunlight energy.
• Stomata: Tiny openings in leaves where plants take in carbon dioxide.
• Word Equation: Carbon dioxide + water + light → glucose + oxygen.
Instructions: Read each question carefully and write your answer in the space provided.
- Question 1: Where does most of a plant’s mass actually come from? Is it the soil?
- Question 2: What are the three ingredients a plant needs for photosynthesis?
- Question 3: What role does chlorophyll play in photosynthesis?
- Question 4: Write the word equation for photosynthesis.
- Question 5: What happens to photosynthesis if a plant doesn’t get enough water, carbon dioxide, or light?
- Question 6: The video says “sunlight is energy, not food.” What is the plant’s actual food?
Click to reveal Teacher Answer Key
1. Most of a plant’s mass comes from carbon dioxide in the air, not the soil.
2. Carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight (light energy).
3. Chlorophyll, found inside chloroplasts, captures sunlight energy so the plant can use it to make glucose.
4. Carbon dioxide + water + light → glucose + oxygen.
5. Photosynthesis slows down.
6. Glucose — the sugar the plant makes itself.
Disclaimer: This worksheet was generated with AI assistance based on original video content. It is intended for educational reference only. Teachers are encouraged to review and adjust questions to fit their curriculum standards before classroom use.
🎯 Extension Activity: Have students draw and label a diagram of a leaf showing the photosynthesis process: arrows for carbon dioxide entering through stomata, water traveling up from the roots, sunlight hitting the leaf, and glucose and oxygen being produced. Underneath, have them write the word equation in their own words.