ks3 worksheet photosynthesis

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KS3 photosynthesis

This KS3 biology worksheet can be used as a teaching resource to summarise the process of photosynthesis at key stage 3 or as a reminder activity at key stage 4.

There are four short tasks:

• unscrambling anagrams of key words relating to photosynthesis, such as sunlight, glucose and carbon dioxide
• filling in gapped key words in a cloze activity
• labelling a diagram of a leaf to show the reactants and products of photosynthesis
• answering a set of questions about the function of chlorophyll and the chemical reactions (as a word equation) involved in photosynthesis. 

The answers are included.

For KS3 teaching resources on plant cells and their adaptations, see our Cells collection.

The answers to the cloze activity:

1) All living things need energy.  Animals eat plants or other animals but plants feed in a different way.

2) Green plants can make their own food so we call them producers. They make their own food by the process of photosynthesis.

3) To make their own food plants need to absorb light energy to make glucose from water and carbon dioxide. During this process, a waste gas is also produced that is very useful to plants and animals for respiration.  This is called oxygen.

4) It is in the leaves that most photosynthesis takes place. This is because there are lots of chloroplasts here that contain chlorophyll. This is the chemical that makes the plant green. This chemical traps energy from the sun for photosynthesis.

5) The word equation for photosynthesis is:

 carbon dioxide + water > glucose + oxygen

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Photosynthesis teaching resources

Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about photosynthesis (gcse and key stage 3).

Overview: photosynthesis is perhaps the most fundamental endothermic process on the planet, but it is often a difficult topic for students (see video of MIT graduates struggling to explain where wood comes from ). Some of this confusion stems from the different and incorrect ways we try to define what the process does – to create energy, to capture the sun’s energy, to make glucose. I find it helps to simply describe photosynthesis as the process through which the plant produces its own food. This makes it clear that plants still need to respire . You may find that teaching respiration first in plants, as opposed to animals, avoids some of this confusion as photosynthesis and respiration can be considered at the same time. Stress the fact that the mass of a plant comes from the invisible carbon dioxide and without plants, our lives would be over.

Key concept: photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other photosynthetic organisms make their own food (an energy store) from carbon dioxide and water using the energy from sunlight.

Linked knowledge: rates of reaction ; plant cells ; energy transfer ; food ; chemical equations

Misconception [scientific idea]:  photosynthesis is the plant’s type of respiration [plants photosynthesise and respire]; plants get their food from the ground [plants produce their own food via photosynthesis – the mass mainly comes from carbon dioxide]; plants acquire food as they grow [plants produce their own food]; gases such as carbon dioxide do not have a mass [gases have a mass e.g. solid rust is formed from iron and oxygen gas; plants photosynthesise for humans [plants need to photosynthesise to make their own food – oxygen is a waste product]. Check out this great quiz from SAPs .

Teaching resources

Where to start.

Ask students where sugar comes from. If you can get hold of a bag of sugar and a sugar beet bring it to class. You could do a quick poll asking where your students get their food from, then pose the question, where does a plant get its food from? It’s not Tesco nor the ground!

This video, involving the dehydration of sucrose , helps students make the link between carbon captured in plant sugars and carbon dioxide from the air. All living organisms are essentially walking, talking blocks of carbon. This demonstration must be carried out in a fume cupboard.

Practical to illustrate the concept

Prove to students that the glucose made by photosynthesis is then converted into starch and that light, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll are needed for photosynthesis .

Understanding the equation for photosynthesis

Activity to explore what students know already about the equation for photosynthesis . This activity helps students connect the symbol equation to what they know about the substances and processes involved. This could be used at the beginning and end of a teaching sequence on photosynthesis. You may want to begin this activity by giving students a grape to taste so they get the idea that photosynthesis makes sugar. ( PDF )

Uses of glucose by plants

GCSE worksheet imagining a world without plants: uses for glucose activity . Students consider how plants use glucose produced by photosynthesis. We think about how humans use plants and students write a paragraph describing what their life would be like without plants. You may want to structure this task, using ideas from here about writing in science . The goal of this activity is for students to consider the importance of photosynthesis to both plants and humans. ( PDF )

Plants photosynthesise and respire

Key Stage 3 worksheet on respiration and photosynthesis . This simple activity asks students whether they understand the subtle but important differences between photosynthesis and respiration. Students discuss in pairs the question: do plants respire? ( PDF )

Comparing photosynthesis with respiration

Key Stage 3 and GCSE activity looking at the relationship between respiration and photosynthesis.  Mitochondria and chloroplasts are compared to factories to help students understand the relationship between the products of photosynthesis and the reactants of respiration. This worksheet can also be used to help students evaluate the use of models to teach scientific processes. ( PDF )

Limiting factors in photosynthesis

GCSE worksheet on limiting factors in photosynthesis . Liebig’s barrel is an excellent model to help students understand the concept of limiting factors in photosynthesis. Students should already have been introduced to limiting factors and photosynthesis before they meet this analogy model. Students identify the different features of the model and then complete the blank template to help identify analogous and non-analogous features. Image source . ( PDF )

Function of photosynthesis and it’s relationship to respiration – the Green Child

Key Stage 3 creative writing activity on the Green Child and photosynthesis . Students use their imagination to write a story about a green child that can photosynthesise. This approach can support student motivation and lead to deep thinking about the ideas of photosynthesis and respiration by encouraging students to make and break connections between these two processes. ( PDF )

Going deeper

• What role did photosynthesis have in the evolution of multicellular organisms?
• What is the difference between rate and time?
• What is the endosymbiosis theory and why was it important in the evolution of plants?
• Give other examples of limiting factors in science.

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Photosynthesis

The importance of photosynthesis needs to be appreciated by GCSE Biology students; they should relate this to the fact that photosynthetic organisms are the main producers of food and therefore biomass for life on Earth. Students should be able to describe the process of photosynthesis, including how it is an endothermic reaction. The effect of factors including temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration on the rate of photosynthesis all need to be understood and the interaction of these factors in limiting the rate of photosynthesis needs to be explained.

Students often confuse the processes of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. They have a misconception that respiration in plants is different to that in other organisms, resulting in the production of Carbon Dioxide. In teaching about photosynthesis it is important to stress that in plants both processes occur depending on conditions and that respiration in plants is the same as in all other organisms.

Some misconceptions that students have about photosynthesis may be as a result of "learning" about the process from an early age, so they often think that the sunlight absorbed by a plant is actually food and that plants "suck up" food from the soil. Students also struggle with the concept of Carbon Dioxide being used in photosynthesis as it isn't something they can see. 

Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our  Health and Safety  guidance.

Photosynthesis *suitable for home teaching*

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme

This Catalyst article looks at the process of photosynthesis, by which plants make a range of biochemical compounds. The article explains how photosynthesis actually ties in with growth. Respiration is happening all the time in all cells in all living organisms. Taken on its own, photosynthesis adds materials to the structure of a plant and this is explored together with annotated diagrams about leaf structure.

Students could be given this article as pre-reading for a lesson and be prepared to give a two minute summary of a particular aspect of the article.

There are many ways to make use of Catalysts articles with students, a booklet outlining some of these ideas with six exemplar activities can be found at : https://www.stem.org.uk/elibrary/resource/27308

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Twig

This film, from Twig World, journeys into the chloroplast to show how plants convert sunlight into usable chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. The key points covered in the film are:

• Leaves are small solar-powered food factories.
• Through a process called photosynthesis they make their own food.
• Using only water, carbon dioxide and the Sun's energy they produce glucose and oxygen.
• They form the basis of the global food chain.

Students could watch this video in pairs and then be asked to identify these four key points, either from scratch or provided with a gapped handout.

Nuffield Biology Activities for GCSE

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Nuffield Foundation

Although this is quite a dated publication there are a range of possible activities within it that could be used to support the teaching and learning of this topic. Activity B6 (page 12-teachers notes)is a straightforward worksheet on photosynthesis, this could easily be used as a self-study/homework activity. Activity B10/B11 (teachers notes page 19) is the classic factors affecting photosynthesis experiment, these sheets could be used before students complete this practical and/or as revision activity .

Measuring Photosynthesis with Cabomba

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS)

This is a reliable investigation to demonstrate photosynthesis, produced by Science and Plants for schools (SAPS). When the pond-weed Cabomba is placed in a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate in the presence of light of appropriate intensity, it will begin to produce bubbles of oxygen-containing gas. These bubbles can be counted and the rate of bubbling can serve as an indication of the rate of photosynthesis. Cabomba is highly reliable, especially compared to Elodea, which is often used to demonstrate this process.

Investigating Factors Affecting Photosynthesis Using Leaf Discs

Another enjoyable and reliable practical activity from SAPS, allowing students to compare factors affecting photosynthesis. Possible investigations could include the rate of photosynthesis in sun and shade plants, and at different light intensities. Students punch out small discs from leaves, and float them in a syringe of sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. Once gas is evolved by photosynthesis, the leaf discs rise and fall.

Algal Balls - Photosynthesis Using Algae Wrapped in Jelly Balls

This reliable practical allows students to use algae to look at the rate of photosynthesis with quantifiable and replicable results. In this protocol, the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda is immobilised in alginate beads. Changes in the colour of hydrogen carbonate indicator solution (also called bicarbonate indicator) can then be used to investigate the rate of photosynthesis under different environmental conditions.

Chlorophyll fluorescence

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Solar Spark

This is a straightforward and relatively simple practical investigation which allows students to see how chlorophyll can be energised and how this causes it to fluoresce. In this experiment, students can observe chlorophyll fluorescing. This is an engaging practical which is quick to set up and carry out, detailed teacher notes are also provided

The Hypothesis

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Cape Farewell

This video clip explains that phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide and can act as indicators of global warming. The video whilst interesting is not as relevant as activity D which is a standard investigation to measure the rate of photosynthesis using pond weed in varying concentrations of carbon dioxide. This investigation is clearly and concisely presented for students to follow. There are also teachers' notes available, these can be accessed by clicking onto the teacher guidance link.

Video clip on oxygen production in plants

This video clip from the BBC demonstrates a classic experiment to investigate the production of oxygen by plants through photosynthesis. Students could be asked to watch this for homework and be prepared to give a two minute summary of the video at the start of the next lesson.

Where do trees get their mass from?

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Veritasium

This short video explores the idea that trees weigh tons, so where do they get their mass from? It would be an interesting question to pose to students as a starter activity and then they could watch the video to see how their understanding of photosynthesis should have led them to the correct answer

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KS3 Photosynthesis Resources

Subject: Biology

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

21 January 2015

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