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Photosynthesis and You

Students identify the process used by plants to make their own food and discover how photosynthesis provides the food they eat.

Grades
K – 2
Estimated Time
45 minutes plus observation time for 2 weeks
Updated
July 23, 2024

Background

Lesson Activities

Credits

Author

Shaney Emerson and Mary Pat Jones | California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom

Acknowledgements

The Educator’s Guide was funded by California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer, Research, and Education Program (FREP) and developed by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

Executive Director: Judy Culbertson
Illustrator: Erik Davison
Layout and Design: Nina Danner and Renee Thompson
Copy Editor: Leah Rosasco
Special Thanks to: Nutrients for Life Foundation, International Plant Nutrition Institute, Fertilizer Research and Education Program, and California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Standards

National Content Area Standards

  • Science
    • K-2-ETS1: Engineering Design
      • K-2-ETS1-1: Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
    • K-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.
    • K-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
      • K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
    • 1-LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
      • 1-LS1-1: Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
    • 2-LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
      • 2-LS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.