BuildingPhotosynthesis
Background
In this activity, you will use colored blocks to represent the
molecules in photosynthesis and illustrate how they are broken
down and reassembled to create glucose.
What does a plant need to live? State at least two real-life observations that
support your ideas.
6 Red Blocks
Carbon
18 Blue Blocks
Oxygen
12 Green Blocks
Hydrogen
Make 6 molecules of
water (H20)
H
Make 6 molecules of
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
H O
O
C
C
O
O
O
O
O
What other chemical does a plant
make during photosynthesis? What
is its chemical formula? Do you
have enough material left (blue
steps) to make this molecule? If so,
how many can you make?
A reaction has just taken place.
Rearrange the blocks in water
and carbon dioxide to build six
molecules of oxygen (O2).
O
C
C
H
C
O
O
C
H
H
O
H
O
O
O
O
H
H
H
H
H
H
O
O
O
Think about the numbers and types of molecules in the activity. Drag and drop the chemical equation for
photosynthesis in the box below and match it with the correct image.
1. Why is the sun’s energy not listed within the
equation for photosynthesis?
2. Do humans or other animals go through
photosynthesis? How do humans get glucose?
3. What molecules do plants need for
photosynthesis?
A. Carbon
B. Oxygen
C. Dioxide
D. Carbon dioxide
4. What is C6H12O6?
A. Glucose
B. Calories
C. Sucrose
D. Carbon hydroxide
5. What word does the arrow in a chemical equation
mean?
A. Equals
B. Same as
C. Yields
D. Quantifies
6. What are the products of photosynthesis?
A. Carbon dioxide and oxygen
B. Oxygen and water
C. Water and carbon dioxide
D. Oxygen and glucose