KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: ​Gabrielle Cruz, Kelly Groth, Kaylee Kupiec ​___________ Date: ​November 8, 2018
Cooperating Teacher: ​Dr. Varano​​_______________________________________ Coop. Initials: ​KV​​_____________
Group Size: ​24​​___________________ Allotted Time: ​45-60 minutes​​__________ Grade Level: ​3rd Grade​​________
Subject or Topic: ​Photosynthesis ​__________________________________________ Section: ​Science​​______________

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):

3.2.3.B6.​​ Recognize that light from the sun is an important source of energy for living and nonliving systems and
some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

Students will be able to recognize the components that allow photosynthesis to occur and the components that are
byproducts of photosynthesis.

II. Instructional Materials

● Powerpoint on content
● Guided Notes sheet (24)
● Book - ​Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life​ by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
● Scissors (24)
● Glue (24)
● Leaf Templates with dashes (24)
● Leaf Templates without dashes (24)
● Arrow Templates (120)
● Markers/Colored Pencils

III. Subject Matter/ Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)
A. ​Prerequisite Skills -
● Ability to use scissors
● Knowing definitions of:
○ Oxygen
○ Carbon Dioxide

B. Key Vocabulary -
● Photosynthesis-​ ​ synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially
light
● Chloroplasts -​ a plastid that contains c​hlorophyll​ and is the site of photosynthesis
● Chlorophyll -​ the green photosynthetic pigment found chiefly in the chloroplasts of plants
● Glucose -​ a crystalline sugar
● Organelle -​ a specialized cellular part (such as a mitochondrion, chloroplast, or nucleus) that has a
specific function

C. Big Idea - ​What are the components of photosynthesis?

 D. Content
● What is needed for photosynthesis to occur?
● What is left behind after photosynthesis occurs?
● Where does photosynthesis occur in a plant?

IV. Implementation

A. Introduction –
● Read ​Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life​ by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm Pages 3-20
○ Pages 5-6 - What else can does the sun do? (possible answers: give us energy, help plants live,
make it bright on Earth)
○ Page 8 - How does light energy stay on Earth so it can be used? (answer: it is trapped by plants)
○ Page 16 - How do humans get light energy inside of them? (answer: we eat plants)
B. Development –
● The teacher will go through a powerpoint presentation, explaining the basics of photosynthesis. The
students will fill out guided notes as the powerpoint is presented.
○ Slide 1: What is photosynthesis?
■ Photosynthesis ​is the process through which plants create their own energy, in order to
survive.

○ Slide 2: What is Needed for Photosynthesis to Occur?

■ In order for photosynthesis to occur, plants need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

○ Slide 3: ​So Where does Photosynthesis Take Place?

■ Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts, which are organelles whose job it is to convert
light energy into sugars that can be used by cells.

■ Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants, which traps the light energy. This then allows
the light energy to be converted. Chlorophyll is located inside of the chloroplasts.

○ Slide 4: What is Created as a Result of Photosynthesis?

■ After photosynthesis has occurred, plants have created oxygen and glucose as
byproducts.

○ Slide 5: So What’s Next?

■ After photosynthesis occurs, humans and animals take in those byproducts through eating
and breathing. We then release carbon dioxide and water, which allows the
photosynthesis process to start all over again!

○ Slide 6: Photosynthesis Process

■ Contains a diagram of the entire process of photosynthesis

● Students will create a model of photosynthesis in a leaf

○ Students will take the 2 leaf templates, 5 arrow templates, and cut them all out.
○ They will then paste one of the leaves on top of the other, only gluing the left half of the leaves
together. This allows the right half of the top leaf to be able to be opened.
○ They will then draw circles inside of the leaf to represent chloroplasts (and label them as such)
 ○ Students will write on each arrow the components needed for photosynthesis and the byproducts
of photosynthesis.
○ Students will glue the arrows of the items that are needed for photosynthesis to occur on the
outside (top-most) leaf going towards the center of the leaf.
○ Students will glue the arrows of the items that are created as a result of photosynthesis on the
inside (innermost) leaf going outside of the leaf.

C. Closure –
● ​The teacher will than hand out an exit ticket that will have several questions on it. The questions will be:
○ Name one item that is required for photosynthesis to occur? (possible answers: sunlight, water,
carbon dioxide)
○ Name one item that is created after photosynthesis has occurred? (possible answers: oxygen,
glucose)
○ What part of a leaf where photosynthesis occurs? (answer: chloroplasts)

D. Accommodations / Differentiation -
● ​The accommodations that will be made for this lesson are to provide an alternate assessment scale,
verbalize all information as it is written on the board or overhead, and to send electronic/ braille
communications when appropriate. For the activity, words can be written in braille on the arrows and be
placed on a piece of paper with a tree on it; either pointing towards (needed for process) or away
(byproduct of process).

E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
● Students will be assessed through the creation of their project, following a rubric (posted at the
end of the document)
● Students will perform a written assessment in the form of their exit ticket.

V. Reflective Response

A. Report of Students’ Performance in Terms of States Objectives ​(Reflection on students performance written after
lesson is taught, includes remediation for students who failed to meet acceptable level of achievement)

B. Personal Reflection (​Questions written before lesson is taught.)(Reflective answers to questions recorded after lesson is
taught.)
● How can I engage students more throughout the lesson?
● How can I accommodate for students with behavioral disabilities?

VI. Resources
Academic Standards for Science and Technology and Engineering Education[​ PDF]. (n.d.).
Bang, M., & Chisholm, P. (2009). ​Living sunlight : How plants bring the earth to life(​ 1st ed.]. ed.). New York: Blue
Sky Press.
Chlorophyll. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chlorophyll
Chloroplasts. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chloroplasts
Glucose. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glucose
Leaf clipart [Digital image]. (2017). Retrieved November 13, 2018, from
http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/leaf-clipart-4-id-45108-68202348
Organelle. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organelle
Photosynthesis [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photosynthesis
Process of Photosynthesis [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/diagram-showing-process-photosynthesis-illustration-563007
307?src=a3PU67feC33hO6nHlMeNeg-1-2
[Sunlight]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from
https://cybermedlife.eu/index.php/health/4155-ocd-could-be-caused-by-lack-of-sunlight
Yemchuk, Y. (n.d.). [Sugar and Sugar Cubes]. Retrieved November 13, 2018, from
https://chriskresser.com/is-refined-sugar-really-toxic/
Name: _____________________________ Date: ______________

Exit Ticket: Photosynthesis

1. Name one item that is required for photosynthesis to occur?

2. Name one item that is created after photosynthesis has occurred?

3. What part of a leaf where photosynthesis occurs?

Name: _____________________________ Date: ______________

Guided Notes: Photosynthesis

1. ____________________​is the process through which plants create their own
energy, in order to survive.

2. In order for photosynthesis to occur, plants need ______________,

___________, and __________________________.
3. Photosynthesis takes place in ________________, which are
_______________ whose job it is to convert light energy into sugars that
can be used by cells.
4. _____________________ is the green pigment in plants, which traps the
light energy. This then allows the _______________________ to be
converted. Chlorophyll is located inside of the chloroplasts.
5. After photosynthesis has occurred, plants have created ______________ and
______________ as byproducts.
6. After photosynthesis occurs, humans and animals take in those byproducts
through ______________ and ______________. We then release carbon
dioxide and water, which allows the photosynthesis process to start all over
again!

7. Fill in the Following Chart

Needed for Photosynthesis Result of Photosynthesis
1. 1.
2. 2.
3.
Materials

Finished Product