Middle School Life Science
Photosynthesis
Light in, carbon dioxide out of the water, food made.
Algae Beads sit in an indicator that changes color as the algae pull carbon dioxide out of the water. Put the vial in the light and students can time the change. That is evidence they collected, not a diagram they copied.
How the lab meets it
What students do that satisfies the standard
NGSS MS-LS1-6
Standard: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
What the kit does: The color change is the evidence. Students compare vials in light and dark, then vary the light, and build their explanation from their own timings.
Texas 8.6.E
Standard: Investigate how mass is conserved in chemical reactions and relate conservation of mass to the rearrangement of atoms using chemical equations, including photosynthesis.
What the kit does: Students watch the indicator show carbon dioxide leaving the water as the algae work, then use the photosynthesis equation to account for where those atoms went. Texas places photosynthesis in 8th grade, inside a chemistry standard. Honest fit: partial. The kit shows a reactant being used up, but nothing gets weighed, so the conservation of mass part is done on paper.
Florida SC.8.L.18.1
Standard: Describe and investigate the process of photosynthesis, such as the roles of light, carbon dioxide, water and chlorophyll; production of food; release of oxygen.
What the kit does: Light and carbon dioxide are the two inputs students can test directly. Vials in the light change color and vials in the dark do not, so the role of light comes from their own results. Florida places photosynthesis in 8th grade.
Free downloads
Our Lesson Plans
What Is Photosynthesis
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Using Algae Beads to Identify Photosynthesis and Respiration
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Photosynthesis vs Irradiance
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Growth Rate vs Irradiance
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Kits for these lessons
Algae Beads: Make Your Own FULL KIT
Algae Research Supply: Algae Beads