Easy Way to Teach Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a complicated process in which plants produce a sugar food using natural ingredients. While the process of photosynthesis is complex, children will easily learn the basic concepts of the process through lessons and activities. Teaching photosynthesis in an easy way will not explain the process on a college level, but it helps to develop a child's understanding of how plants produce food using sunlight.
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Instructions
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Explain to pupils the process of photosynthesis. Tell them that the process of photosynthesis occurs in order for plants to produce food using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. Remember to mention that plants must eat too and that they cannot eat pizza and chicken nuggets like humans.
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Place a houseplant in a window and with your hands, explain how the sunlight penetrates the leaves and soaks into the plant. Pour a bit of water over the leaves and onto the soil of the houseplant and explain that the plant soaks up the water through its leaves and roots.
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Explain that the plant requires a third ingredient to produce food inside itself. Tell pupils that the plant also eats the air that we breathe out, called carbon dioxide. Take a deep breath and blow out on the plant leaves. Describe how the energy from the sun splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen and combines the hydrogen with the carbon dioxide. Explain that the plant then releases the extra oxygen back into the air.
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Describe how the plants combine the three ingredients of water, sunlight and carbon dioxide with the chlorophyll cells inside the plant to create sugars. The plant then uses that sugar to grow taller and produce more leaves, blooms and fruits.
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Tips & Warnings
Have pupils practice what they learn. Giving them name tags for the different steps and ingredients in photosynthesis and have them act out the process. You may also have pupils draw the process of photosynthesis onto sheets of paper, using arrows to explain where ingredients enter the plant.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Plant image by luagpics from Fotolia.com
