Students learn how the two great energy processes of life fit together — photosynthesis stores the Sun’s energy in glucose, and cellular respiration releases it — forming a cycle that connects plants, animals, and the air we breathe.
Students will be able to…
Plants make oxygen; you breathe it in and breathe out carbon dioxide, which plants use again. How do these two processes complete a perfect loop?
Project this and sort each feature into “Photosynthesis” or “Respiration.” Notice how they are near-opposites that cycle into each other.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Plants make O₂; you make CO₂; plants reuse it — a loop?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Construct an explanation for the role of photosynthesis in cycling matter and energy.
Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions to release energy.
Construct an explanation for how environmental and genetic factors influence growth.
Follow a multistep procedure or process in a scientific text.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students write and compare the chemical equations for photosynthesis and respiration and notice they are reverses of each other. A printable equation sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.