Photosynthesis Teaching Notes
by Dr. A. J. Williams
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Photosynthesis is a notoriously difficult topic
for students and teachers alike. For the new Biology teacher, beads of
sweat are a common sight when faced with a class of students all eager
to learn the intricacies of how plants make their food. In an attempt
to make the teaching and learning of this topic as painless as possible,
I am making my own teaching notes available to other teachers. This set
of notes is a complete teacher resource. Below I have included the course
summary and index, as well as screen shots of the book. The complete book
has been written in Word 97 format so that teachers can add/edit freely
the entire course to suit their own needs. However there is also an Adobe
Acrobat version available for those without Word. You are given the option
of downloading either Word format, Adobe format, OR BOTH (no extra cost)
immediately after ordering.
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ENERGETICS I - Photosynthesis
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Course Summary:
· The need for energy in living organisms.
· ATP - the currency of energy.
· Photosynthesis as an energy-trapping process.
· Practicals to explore photosynthesis.
· Exam questions and answers.
Course Details:
Introduction;
The need for energy in living things;
The structure, synthesis and role of ATP;
Photosynthesis:
· The structure of a dicotyledonous leaf, palisade cells and a
chloroplast - relating structure to function.
· The photoactivation of chlorophyll resulting in the conversion
of light energy into ATP and reduced NADP. The processes of cyclic and
non-cyclic photophosphorylation;
· Calvin cycle involving the light independent fixation of carbon
dioxide by combination with a 5C compound (RuBP) to yield two molecules
of GP (PGA), a 3C compound, and the subsequent conversion of GP into carbohydrates,
amino acids and lipids.
· Photosynthesis summary: Linking the light reaction to the light
independent reaction.
· Limiting factors in photosynthesis.
Practical Work:
· Investigations on the effects of limiting factors, such as
light intensity, CO2 concentration and temperature, on the rate of photosynthesis;
compensation point; gas analysis.
End of topic Exam:
· A complete end of topic exam and teacher mark scheme.
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction - energy
1.1 Animals hunt their food, plants cannot - they have to make it.
1.2. Metabolic reactions
1.3 Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
2. Photosynthesis
2.1 The leaf as a photosynthetic organ
2.2 Palisade cells
2.3 Chloroplasts
2.4 Pigments involved in photosynthesis
2.5 Absorption v Action spectrums
2.6 Light-Dependent Reactions
2.7 Light-Independent Reactions
2.7.1. The Calvin Cycle
2.7.2. Fate of TP
2.8 Photosynthesis summary: Linking the light reaction to the light independent
reaction.
3. Limiting factors
3.1 Light
3.2 Carbon dioxide
3.3 Temperature
3.4 Chlorophyll
3.5 Water
4. Practical Work
4.1 Measuring the effect of light on the rate of photosynthesis
4.1.1. Where to go next?
4.2. Carbon dioxide
4.3 Temperature
4.4 Compensation point
4.5 Gas analysis
4.5.1. Where to go next?
5. Appendix
End of Topic Exam
Mark Scheme for Topic Exam
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Screenshots
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This screenshot is from the introduction
to the course.
The introduction recaps energy and lays the
foundation for the course to come.
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All diagrams in the book have a clean fresh look to
them. The irrelevant and often distracting details have been removed.
All diagrams can be photocopied and used as you like. |
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Throughout the course, key points are highlighted using
light bulbs, bullet points and boxes. |
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Practical work is approached in a fresh style. The equipment
used is basic laboratory equipement that all schools should have or
can make easily. |
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Diagrams are used to good effect to illustrate the sequence
of events as the practical proceeds. The diagram compliments the textual
description of events. |
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The course comes with a comprehensive exam, with 7 structured questions
testing all aspects of the course. The time for the exam is 1 hour,
but by editing the exam you could increase or decrease the length.
The exam can be freely photocopied. |
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A complete and comprehensive mark scheme is provided for quick marking
of completed exams. |
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This set of teaching notes is hopefully the first
of many. My next topic will be Respiration to complete the topic of Energetics.
This and future sets of teaching notes can be purchased for the price
of $14.95 each.
Once you have paid by credit card using our secure
server, you can download the course immediately. There is no waiting for
delivery - this is automatic and immediate. Once you click the button
to confirm your order, an e-mail will be sent to you with a user name
and password to download this course. The course is zipped up (so you
need a decompression program such as winzip) and only 398KB. This means
you can download this course in minutes.
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Summary:
- Full colour diagrams
- Free to add/edit with your own notes (word format only)
- Complete course including teaching notes, practical work and end
of topic exam with full mark scheme.
- You can download it immediately
- The download is only 398Kb (Word), 422Kb (PDF) or 821Kb (Both formats)
- It's only $14.95
- Ordering via credit card over the Internet is safer than using
your card in a shop.
Frequently asked question:
Can this book be used by students as a revision guide?
Answer: These teaching notes make an
excellent resource for advanced students. My recommendation would
be to print the book and use it in conjunction with your existing
class notes during revision periods. These notes highlight areas of
common misconception (even amongst teachers) and give any student
a leg-up on the difficult road to understanding plant biochemistry.
What better way to see if you understand a topic
than by taking an exam. You can self-administer the end of topic exam
and mark your own using the comprehenisve examiners marking scheme.
You will see exactly what an examiner would give marks for.
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