Grade 6 (age 11-12)

grade 6 Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis

Plants are living things that make their own food. A leaf uses sunlight to turn water from the roots and carbon dioxide from the air into food, a process called photosynthesis. That process also gives off the oxygen we breathe. Change the sunlight and zoom sliders and how active photosynthesis is comes into view.

How Do Plants Make Food?

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🌱 What is Photosynthesis?

①Plants use light energy to make food (glucose)

②Inputs: CO₂ + H₂O + light

③Outputs: glucose (food) + O₂

④More light → more photosynthesis

Structure of a Leaf

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🔬 Leaf Structure

①Chloroplasts: green particles in leaf cells, site of photosynthesis

②Stomata: tiny pores on leaf underside; CO₂ in, O₂ out

③Palisade tissue: many chloroplasts → active photosynthesis

④Spongy tissue: air channels

⑤Plants also give oxygen and food to other living things. Light and zoom sliders are a relative scale.

Photosynthesis vs Respiration

Photosynthesis

CO₂ + H₂O + light → glucose + O₂

In daytime, in leaf chloroplasts

Respiration

Glucose + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + Energy

Day and night, in all cells

💡 Photosynthesis vs Respiration

①Photosynthesis: makes food (day, chloroplasts)

②Respiration: breaks down food for energy (always, all cells)

③They are opposite processes

④Daytime: photosynthesis > respiration → more O₂ released

Summary

Photosynthesis Formula

CO₂ + Water + Light Energy → Glucose + O₂

Plants make their own food

🎯 Key Points

①Photosynthesis: CO₂ + H₂O + light → glucose + O₂

②Site: chloroplasts (green particles)

③Stomata: pores for CO₂/O₂ exchange

④Respiration is the opposite process (always)

⑤Plants supply oxygen and food to all life

Examples and Unit Test

Example 1

Name the three things that go into photosynthesis and the two things it makes.

Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, water, and light energy.

It produces glucose (food) and oxygen.

▸ Inputs: carbon dioxide, water, light / outputs: glucose, oxygen

CO₂ + water + light → glucose + oxygen, in the leaf chloroplasts.

Example 2

In which part of the leaf does photosynthesis happen, and what are the tiny pores that exchange gases (CO₂ and O₂) called?

Photosynthesis happens in the chloroplasts, the green grains in leaf cells.

The tiny pores on the leaf that let CO₂ in and O₂ out are called stomata.

▸ In the chloroplasts / the pores are stomata

Chloroplasts capture light; stomata exchange gases.

Unit-test style

Which statement about plant photosynthesis is correct?

①Photosynthesis uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide

②Photosynthesis uses light energy to make glucose

③Photosynthesis happens mainly in the roots

④The products of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water

⑤Stomata store the food made by photosynthesis

▸ ② Photosynthesis uses light energy to make glucose

Photosynthesis converts CO₂ and water into glucose and oxygen using light energy.

Using O₂ and releasing CO₂ describes respiration (①), it happens in leaf chloroplasts (③), its products are glucose and oxygen (④), and stomata are pores for gas exchange (⑤).

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