Can you please give me some ideas on how I can teach the concept of photosynthesis, so that my students enjoy learning the concept. If possible can you also tell me which site can provide worksheets on photosynthesis for grade 5 students. Thank you.

[Lorelei]

I teach Photosynthesis to my 4th graders and compare it to making sugar cookies. I tell them that they need certain ingredients to make cookies and you need certain ingredients to make Photosynthesis happen. We list the "ingredients" and then I compare the sun (light) for Photo to the heat of the oven (since you need light for Photosynthesis to get going and you need the oven for the cookies to bake.)
So once the cookies bake, you have the final product...well in Photosynthesis once the process takes place the end result is sugar(cookie) and oxygen. I tell the students that when you make cookies you can smell them. The smell eventually goes away...I compare that to Oxygen being made but it is a waste product..it doesn't stay. I don't have any websites...do you have any worksheets in your text book?

[Shari]

www.bbc.co.uk provides a wealth of information on every topic imaginable, including photosynthesis. Try Bite Size biology topics.

[KathyB]

When teaching photosynthesis to my fourth grade students I had them perform a play. Students created a name tag (10 x 10 of cardboard) which I put yarn on and they wear. The parts are sun, plant, water, carbon dioxide, energy, oxygen, sugar and a narrator. The sun stands on a stool sending his energy to the plant. The energy, water and carbon dioxide go around the plant and then sit down so that the products of oxygen and sugar can shine. The narrator explains the whole process but each part must also be able to explain his/her role.

It's Friday PM so I hope this all makes sense. My students absolutely loved performing and rarely did I have a group that couldn't explin photosynthesis via a diagram or paragraph.

Check out this website:
(There's a sign in but its all free.)

http://www.exploringnature.org/kids_activities_aids.html

[dollhouse_08]

Do you have a script for this?