Photosynthesis

Ashley Hungerford DP2 (12th grade) Biology

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson, students will watch the videos on photosynthesis in order to complete an IB constructivist problem solving scenario.
OBJECTIVES

Understand the process of photosynthesis Relate the individual components of photosynthesis to the end result Describe the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration Synthesize a procedure for multi-step problems to aid in decision making Evaluate reports based on data Explain the relationship between the rate of photosynthesis and the rate of oxygen production Generalize a procedure for solving a problem with changing parameters

STANDARDS

SC.912.L.14.7: Relate the structure of each of the major plant organs and tissues to physiological processes. SC.912.L.18.7: Identify the reactants, products, and basic functions of photosynthesis. SC.8.L.18.2: Describe and investigate how cellular respiration breaks down food to provide energy and releases carbon dioxide.

RELATIVE ADVANTAGE

The relative advantages of utilizing hypermedia, such as the videos that will be used for this project, are widespread. Videos provide viewers with the ability to visualize abstract concepts and learn through visual and auditory stimulus. The average student currently watches approximately 4.5 hours of television a day; students are accustomed to being entertained and informed by hypermedia. By using video as a medium for education teachers can harness student interest and provide a strong scaffolding for future transfer of knowledge.

TIMELINE

This lesson will take approximately one week to complete. The first day will be spent watching the videos and reviewing background information. The second day students will be placed into small groups and provided supplemental reading materials, the first letter, and the pre-project guiding questions. The third day students will be asked to consider the first reading letter, and they will be provided with the first data set in order to come up with an initial solution. On the fourth day students will be provided the second letter and the second data set to analyze and create a solution. On the final day students will present their procedures, solutions and debriefing questions.

MATERIALS (CAPORICE, 2013)

Informational Texts
Stecker, Tiffany. (2012, July). Drought-tolerant corn efforts show positive early results. Scientific American. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drought-tolerant-corn-trials-showpositive-early-results Cusick, Daniel. (2012, May). Could dwarf corn improve yields? Scientific American. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=could-dwarf-corn-improve-yields

Letter 1

Dear Esteemed Scholars: You have been selected to enter a contest to help develop a procedure to choose the best genetically modified, drought-resistant varieties of corn. The United States is facing a major drought this year, and due to climate change, it is expected that droughts will occur more frequently in the future. We at Cornucopia Crops Inc. have contracted with the US government to advise them on what new varieties of crops should be planted to maintain the food supply for the country under the drier conditions predicted by models of climate change. The variety of corn we will recommend must be able to photosynthesize at a high rate to produce a sufficient yield of corn even with a limited supply of water. You must take into consideration the following: area plant occupies, time to produce, taste, cost of seed, water use efficiency, and average yield of a single plant. Dataset 1.1 and 1.2 contain a list of characteristics of the six varieties of genetically modified corn that we are considering.; Please provide us with a letter in which you explain how you ranked the corn from best variety (1) through least desirable variety (6) to plant when expecting drought conditions. Be sure to explain your procedure in detail so we may replicate your process for other crops. Sincerely, Cornucopia Crops Inc. 1000 Corny Lane Maize City, Iowa

Letter 2

Dear Esteemed Scholars: Congratulations! We received your letter, and the variety of corn you ranked as best not only exceeded our expectations in the fields, but also was a top seller at the grocery store this summer! NASA has now contacted us for advice in identifying a variety of corn that will be able to grow in a biosphere on Mars! Mars has a very dry climate, and its atmosphere contains no oxygen for non-photosynthetic organisms to breathe. We have provided you with some additional data on each variety of corn. Please use your procedure for ranking corn varieties that are not only high yielding and drought-resistant, but also produce oxygen at a high rate during photosynthesis. Thank you for your hard work! We look forward to your next letter describing whether your procedure still identifies the best variety. If not, please explain how you modified your procedure. Sincerely, Cornucopia Crops Inc. 1000 Corny Lane Maize City, Iowa

Data Sets 1 and 2 Link

Datasets 1.1_and_1.2.docx

Guidance Questions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is the problem? Who is the client in this scenario? What does the client need? What does the development team need to consider in meeting the client's needs? What future problem is the client hoping to solve with this solution? Why does the client want you to explain your procedure?

Additional Instructional Materials

The process of photosynthesis is a chemical reaction in which CO2 and water combine to form carbohydrate (ultimately glucose) and water. Photosynthesis results in carbon fixation, the conversion of the inorganic carbon from the gas CO2 to a solid carbohydrate in living tissue. A higher rate of photosynthesis will lead to a greater yield of plant tissue. The rate of photosynthesis can be measured in micromoles of CO2 fixed per m2 of leaf area per second. The process of photosynthesis takes place inside leaves and some other green tissues of plants. It requires CO2 and a water-saturated environment. Leaves have tiny openings called stomata (or stomates) that allow air, containing CO2 from the atmosphere, to enter the leaf. Water to saturate the internal environment of the leaf is absorbed from the soil by roots, and transported to the leaf through the vascular system of the plant. When the stomata of the leaf open, some CO2 enters and some H2O is lost as water vapor, and must be replaced by more water from the roots to maintain the saturated environment required for photosynthesis. The loss of water through the stomata during photosynthesis is called transpiration. The rate of transpiration can be measured in micromoles of H2O lost per m2 of leaf area per second. Air is plentiful and photosynthesis is very rarely limited by the availability of CO2. But when water is scarce, the loss of water vapor when stomata open is a problem for the plant. If the loss of water through the stomates exceeds the supply from the soil, the stomates must close, which cuts off the supply of CO2 for photosynthesis. Variation in the structure of leaves causes differences in how much carbon they are able to fix relative to the amount of water they lose. The ratio of carbon fixed to water lost is called the water use efficiency (WUE) of a plant. Plants with high water use efficiency are better at conserving water while fixing carbon. In an environment where water is plentiful, plants with lower water use efficiency will have higher rates of photosynthesis. The anatomy of a plant affects its water use efficiency. A plant that has lots of leaf area and a small root system will have a high rate of photosynthesis because it has lots of photosynthetic tissue, but only when water is freely available. As the volume of roots increases relative to the amount of leaves, the maximum rate of photosynthesis may decrease but WUE increases.

Reflective Questions
1. What was the most important factor to consider in determining the "best" type of corn? Explain how and why your group decided that this was more important than the others. 2. Is it important to take into consideration that the different characteristics are measured in different units while deciding on a procedure? 3. Are there any factors mentioned in the data tables that you believe are irrelevant and/or unnecessary? Is there anything not mentioned that you think would be helpful? 4. What modifications, if any, will you/did you have to make to your procedure to accommodate NASA's request?

Other Material
Computers, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Internet

GROUP STRATEGIES

Students will be placed into small groups of 3 students per group. Each group will need one computer, and each computer will need internet access and Microsoft Office. Students at the school are required to have a working laptop that meets those specifications so these requirements should be easily met.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Students will watch the ten videos on photosynthesis. 2. Students will write a summary of what they know about photosynthesis from the videos and how that can apply to real-world situations. 3. Students will read supplemental materials. 4. Students will be placed into small groups to read the guiding questions and begin discussing the problem and its relationship to photosynthesis. 5. Students will be provided with the first letter to read. 6. Students will be provided with the first data set to begin solving the problem at hand. 7. The group will write a letter of response to the corn company to explain the procedure for solving the problem. 8. Students will be provided the second letter and data sets. 9. Students will work together to solve the second set of calculations, and write the final letter to the company explaining any changes to the procedures. 10. Students will complete the reflection questions. 11. Students will create a video reflection explaining how this problem-solving situation is relevant to the concepts of photosynthesis, and how they worked together to transfer knowledge from one area to a seemingly different area all together. 12. Students will post their video on the class youtube page.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed based on several criteria including: 1. Guiding Questions 2. Summary of Videos 3. Letters 1 and 2 4. Data Sets 1 and 2 5. Reflective Questions 6. Reflection Paper

ADAPTATIONS FOR STUDENTS WTH SPECIAL NEEDS

Students with special needs can be accommodated in several ways: 1. Hearing difficulty- transcripts of videos provided, final video can be sub-titled and/or student groups can help non-speakers compensate for speech difficulties. 2. ELL- students can be placed in groups with students that can assist them in their understanding of the concepts. ELL students will be graded according the ELL standards of effort and improvement. 3. Extension activities can be provided to students that need a greater challenge. Examples are: building a website to address the issues, finding current events relevant to the topic, and finding research sources to support ideas for problem solving.
REFERENCES

Caporice, A. (2013). Corn Conundrum. Retrieved from CPALMS: http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResource/Preview/32177 Cusick, Daniel. (2012, May). Could dwarf corn improve yields? Scientific American. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=could-dwarf-corn-improve-yields Stecker, Tiffany. (2012, July). Drought-tolerant corn efforts show positive early results. Scientific American. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drought-tolerant-corn-trials-show-positiveearly-results

Video Resources
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Khan Academy Crash Course Neo K-12 Ed. Ted Bozeman Science Teacher Tube Watch Know Learn United Streaming Live Science Bill Nye