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Photosynthesis

You can identify the reactants and products of photosynthesis and write a word summary of the process.

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Lesson 2 of 4
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Photosynthesis

You can identify the reactants and products of photosynthesis and write a word summary of the process.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Producers make their own food using a process called photosynthesis.
  2. Photosynthesis can only happen when there is light.
  3. Photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions that take place inside cells.
  4. The reactants of photosynthesis are water and carbon dioxide, and the products are oxygen and glucose (a carbohydrate).
  5. Photosynthesis involves many chemical reactions; a word summary of the reactants and products is a model of the process.

Keywords

  • Producer - A producer is an organism that makes its own food.

  • Chemical reaction - In a chemical reaction, substances are broken down and react to form new substances.

  • Photosynthesis - Photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions by which producers make their own food.

  • Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a compound made of carbon and oxygen that is a gas at room temperature and a reactant in photosynthesis.

  • Glucose - Glucose is a sugar (carbohydrate) produced by photosynthesis.

Common misconception

Light is a chemical reactant in photosynthesis and it is turned into food.

Challenge the misconception that light is a chemical reactant in photosynthesis.

This lesson echoes the KS3 national curriculum’s use of "word summary" (rather than "word equation") for photosynthesis. This is because referring to it as an "equation" can reinforce the common misconception that photosynthesis is one reaction.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which two things do plants take in from their surroundings through their roots?

food
gases from air
light
Correct answer: minerals
Correct answer: water

Q2.
A plant’s leaves take in gases and to keep the plant alive.

Correct Answer: light, sunlight, sun light

Q3.
Who is correct?

Laura: “Plants don’t need food – they are food!”
Correct answer: Aisha: “Plants are producers. They make their own food.”
Sam: “Plants are consumers because they consume food.”
Sofia: “Plants take in nutrients, which is all the food they need.”

Q4.
The food that plants make in their leaves is a type of .

Correct Answer: carbohydrate, sugar, glucose

Q5.
If you looked at the leaf under a microscope, what would you see?

Correct answer: The leaf is made of many cells.
The leaf is made of one big cell.
The leaf is not made of cells.

Q6.
Chemical reactions have reactants and products. What is a reactant in a chemical reaction?

A substance that does not take part in the chemical reaction.
A substance that is made by the chemical reaction.
Correct answer: A substance that is used by the chemical reaction.
A substance that speeds up the chemical reaction but is not changed by it.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of the process that plants use to make their own food?

Correct Answer: photosynthesis

Q2.
Four children suggest why photosynthesis does not take place in plant roots. Who is correct?

Alex: “Roots are just an anchor to hold the plant in place.”
Izzy: “Root cells don’t need food to stay alive.”
Jun: “The roots take in all the food they need from the soil.”
Correct answer: Lucas: “There’s no light underground for photosynthesis.”

Q3.
Light transfers _____ to plant leaves for photosynthesis.

carbon dioxide
cells
Correct answer: energy
oxygen

Q4.
Which of the following things are reactants of photosynthesis?

Correct answer: carbon dioxide
nitrogen
oxygen
Correct answer: water

Q5.
Which product is missing from the word summary of photosynthesis?

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: glucose, sugar, carbohydrate

Q6.
What would happen if a disaster plunged the Earth into darkness for a very long time?

Plants would continue to take in food from their surroundings.
Correct answer: Plants would die due to lack of food.
Plants would stay alive by making their own food.
Plants would survive forever by taking in water.

Lesson appears in

UnitScience / Plant nutrition and photosynthesis

Science

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