Lesson Plan

Photosynthesis: Let's Talk About It

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Science

Grade(s)

Overview

This lesson will utilize the talking drawings strategy, in which students will begin the lesson by drawing a picture of a plant to illustrate how they think plants make their own food. Then, the teacher will introduce the process of photosynthesis using an interactive presentation to explain photosynthesis in a pictorial format. As the teacher describes the process, the students will create a scientifically accurate drawing of a plant engaging in photosynthesis. Lastly, students will create a writing piece that will describe the process of photosynthesis and construct a scientifically accurate illustration of the process of photosynthesis.

This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

Content Standards

Science (2015) Grade(s): 5

SC15.5.9
Construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel, carbohydrates, and a waste product, oxygen, during the process of photosynthesis.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

convert
carbohydrates
waste product
photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
produces
oxygen

Knowledge

Students know:

What plants need to survive.
Parts of plants and their functions in the process of photosynthesis.
The sun is the source of energy.
Plants are producers.

Skills

Students are able to:

Construct an illustration to explain the scientific phenomenon of photosynthesis.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Plants are producers of energy through the process of photosynthesis.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter

Interdisciplinary Connections

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.7
Write routinely and independently for varied amounts of time.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Routinely
Independently

Knowledge

Student know:

Routinely means on a consistent basis, and independently means without help from others.
Writing skills.

Skills

Students are able to:

Writing on a consistent basis without support from others for various time frames.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Writing can be done for many purposes and over many different time frames.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.14
Write using grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases accurately, including those that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

General academic vocabulary
Domain-specific vocabulary
Words that signal contrasting ideas
Words that signal additional information
Words that signal other logical relationships

Knowledge

Students know:

Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.
There are words and phrases that can be used in writing to signal relationships between ideas.
Academic, domain-specific vocabulary should be used in school writing.

Skills

Students are able to:

Accurately use grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in writing.
Accurately use words and phrases that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships between ideas in writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:

It is important to use academic, domain-specific vocabulary in formal settings, like school writing.
They can show relationships between their ideas in writings by using particular words and phrases.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.35
Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Informative text
Explanatory text
Sources
Topic
Organizational structure
Details
Elaboration

Knowledge

Students know:

Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
Elaboration means supplying additional information about details by using academic vocabulary or including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:

Gather information from multiple sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
Write an informative or explanatory text with a clear, organized structure.
Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary or text features.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple research sources.
Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.

Learning Objectives

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into storable fuel and oxygen during photosynthesis.
Students will write an informative paragraph clearly describing the process of photosynthesis, correctly using domain-specific vocabulary words.
Students will write informative scientific texts independently.

Procedures/Activities

Before Strategy/Engage: 10 minutes

1. The students will need a blank sheet of paper and a pencil for the first part of the lesson.

2. The teacher should explain to students that they will have five minutes to draw a picture to show how plants create their own food. The students can add words to their picture, and students can add color to their picture as well. The teacher should be sure that students understand that this is their “before” drawing, so it is perfectly acceptable if they don’t know much about this process.

3. The teacher should use a timer to time students for five minutes as they create their drawing. The teacher should encourage students to continue to add to their picture until the five minutes have elapsed.

4. After the time expires, the teacher should instruct the students to flip their papers over and to put down their pencils.

During Strategy/Explore & Explain: 25 minutes

1. The teacher should present the Google Slide Presentation, “Photosynthesis: Let’s Talk About It".

2. As the teacher presents the information, the students should draw the diagram on the blank side of their paper. The teacher should be sure to encourage students to add additional notes or other important ideas to the drawing.

Note: The teacher should be sure to thoroughly explain to students what to draw, while also explaining the scientific concept of photosynthesis. The teacher should feel free to add to and expand upon the basic explanation of photosynthesis depicted in the slide show.

Example script: "First, draw a line going across the middle of your paper. Color everything below this line brown. This represents the soil that plants grow in. Now, draw a picture of a tree. Be sure to label the roots and the leaves of the tree. Now, this process that we are going to learn about today, called photosynthesis, happens with any green plant, but our picture is going to focus on this orange tree."

After Strategy/Explain & Elaborate: 45 minutes

1. After the teacher has presented the slide show, the teacher should ask the students to flip over their paper and examine the drawing they completed at the beginning of the lesson. Then, the students should flip their paper over to review the drawing they just created. After comparing and contrasting their two drawings, the students should write five things they learned about photosynthesis during this activity on their "before" drawing.

2. Next, the teacher should allow students to meet with a partner to discuss the five things they learned. The teacher can allow students to choose their partner or assign students to partner groups. During this time, the students can add to their written information or change any of their information, if needed.

Note: If the teacher determines that students require additional instruction on the concept of photosynthesis, the teacher can show students “Vegetation Transformation” by Crash Course Kids on youtube.com.

3. Lastly, the students should write a five-sentence paragraph describing how plants use light energy to change carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel (carbohydrates) and a waste product (oxygen). In addition to writing a five-sentence paragraph, students should also add a diagram or drawing to their writing piece to aid their explanation of photosynthesis. Before students begin writing their paragraphs, the teacher should discuss the Photosynthesis Writing and Illustration Checklist with students to clarify the requirements of the writing and illustration piece.

Learning Activity (Before)

Learning Activity (During)

Learning Activity (After)

Assessment Strategies

Formative Assessment: The teacher should informally assess students in the before strategy as students create their first drawing. This will allow the teacher to determine the students' current background knowledge regarding the process of photosynthesis. The teacher should review each student's drawing notes that are taken as the teacher presents the information about photosynthesis. The teacher should informally assess students as they discuss the five things they learned about photosynthesis with their partner. In addition, the teacher can review each student’s list of things they learned during the lesson as a formative assessment.

Summative Assessment: The teacher should formally assess students at the conclusion of the lesson by reviewing each student's five sentence paragraph and illustration explaining the process of photosynthesis. The teacher should determine each student's achievement of the lesson's objectives by assessing the student's writing and illustration using the attached checklist.

Acceleration and Intervention

Acceleration

Students who require acceleration strategies can visit “How Plants Grow” on Science Kids. Students will learn about how plants grow by experimenting with this interactive science activity.

Intervention

Students who require intervention strategies can read the article “Introduction to Plants” from ck12.org to review background information on plants and the cycle of photosynthesis. The students can also view “Vegetation Transformation” by Crash Course Kids on youtube.com to review the process of photosynthesis.

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

61 to 90 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background/Preparation

Student Background Information: As this lesson will serve as an introduction to the process of photosynthesis, students will not need background information on this concept.

Students will need to have background knowledge regarding the external structure of plants, which is related to the Fourth Grade Alabama Course of Study Standard 9:

9.) Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) and animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Students will also need to have background knowledge regarding the growth of plants, which is related to the Third Grade Alabama Course of Study Standard 6:

6.) Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

If remediation is needed for these concepts, students can read the article “Introduction to Plants” from ck12.org.

Teacher Background Information: In all food webs on Earth, plants are producers, which means they can make their own “food”. Plants take in energy from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air through their leaves. Plants take in water and other nutrients from the soil using their root systems. Plants use these substances to produce a storable form of fuel, called carbohydrates. These carbohydrates help the plant grow. During this process, plants also release a waste product, oxygen, which is essential to life on Earth.

This lesson will make use of the “Talking Drawings” strategy. Teachers who are unfamiliar with this research-based strategy can review this website to learn the procedures to implement this strategy, as well as helpful tips. The teacher should preview the presentation, Photosynthesis: Let’s Talk About It, to ensure he or she is familiar with the content and will be able to fully explain the concept of photosynthesis.

Materials and Resources

Student Materials (per student)

Notebook paper

Pencil or pen

Art Supplies such as colored pencils/crayons/markers/etc.

Blank white paper

Website Links for Acceleration Strategy

"How Plants Grow" from Science Kids

Website Links for Intervention Strategy

“Introduction to Plants” from ck12.org

“Vegetation Transformation” by Crash Course Kids on youtube.com (2:59 minutes)

Teacher Materials

Teacher computer with internet access

Interactive whiteboard or projector

Timer

Photosynthesis: Let’s Talk About It Google Slides presentation

Photosynthesis Writing and Illustration Checklist for Summative Assessment

Technology Resources Needed

Student Technology Resources

Internet capable devices for Acceleration and Intervention Strategies

Teacher Technology Resources

Teacher computer with internet access

Interactive whiteboard or projector

Approved Date

2017-05-27

Learning Resource Type

Photosynthesis: Let's Talk About It

Subject Area

Grade(s)

Overview

SC15.5.9 Construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel, carbohydrates, and a waste product, oxygen, during the process of photosynthesis.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Crosscutting Concepts

ELA21.5.7 Write routinely and independently for varied amounts of time.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.5.14 Write using grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases accurately, including those that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

ELA21.5.35 Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

Vocabulary

Knowledge

Skills

Understanding

Primary Learning Objectives

Procedures/Activities

Assessment Strategies

Acceleration

Intervention

Total Duration

Background/Preparation

Materials and Resources

Technology Resources Needed

Approved Date

SC15.5.9
Construct an illustration to explain how plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into a storable fuel, carbohydrates, and a waste product, oxygen, during the process of photosynthesis.

ELA21.5.7
Write routinely and independently for varied amounts of time.

ELA21.5.14
Write using grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases accurately, including those that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships.

ELA21.5.35
Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.