Plant nutrition and photosynthesis
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Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Breathing and respiration, where they explored how organisms use oxygen to release energy from food. It deepens their understanding by examining plant nutrition and photosynthesis, focusing on how plants produce their own food using light, carbon dioxide, and water. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, where they will apply their knowledge of energy processes to understand cellular structures and functions, highlighting the differences in how cells support life across various organisms.
Prior knowledge requirements
- [Y2] Plants need light and water to grow.
- [Y3] Plants need air and nutrients from soil to grow.
- [Y3 & Y4] Plants are producers because they make their own food in their leaves.
- Cellular respiration is a chemical process that uses glucose from food as a fuel to provide energy for life processes.
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Breathing and respiration, where they explored how organisms use oxygen to release energy from food. It deepens their understanding by examining plant nutrition and photosynthesis, focusing on how plants produce their own food using light, carbon dioxide, and water. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, where they will apply their knowledge of energy processes to understand cellular structures and functions, highlighting the differences in how cells support life across various organisms.
Prior knowledge requirements
- [Y2] Plants need light and water to grow.
- [Y3] Plants need air and nutrients from soil to grow.
- [Y3 & Y4] Plants are producers because they make their own food in their leaves.
- Cellular respiration is a chemical process that uses glucose from food as a fuel to provide energy for life processes.
Biology
Plant nutrition and photosynthesis
This unit covers photosynthesis, including how plants produce carbohydrates, absorb water and minerals, and the role of leaf stomata in gas exchange. It highlights the importance of photosynthesis in sustaining life on Earth and explores the adaptations of leaves for photosynthesis.
4 lessons in unit
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