Lesson example
A photosynthesis lesson presentation, slide by slide
A Year 8 science lesson for teachers who want slides that follow the lesson plan. It opens with a starter question, builds the word equation, runs a starch test practical with a results table and ends on homework, with a safety panel and timings for a double lesson.
Education17 slides · shown in the Pastel template (free)
Start free: 2 decks, the first 3 slides of each written. Every slide and PowerPoint download with Premium.
The deck, slide by slide
Every slide as it is designed in Pastel, with its text written out beside it.
01Cover
Photosynthesis: how plants make food
Year 8 Science · Lesson 4 of 6 · Ms Amara Osei, Hollybrook Academy
02Agenda
Today's lesson
- Starter: what do plants eat?
- Learning objectives
- The word equation
- Starch test practical
- Recap and exit ticket
03Section
Where does a tree's mass come from?
Not from the soil. Almost all of it is built from carbon dioxide in the air.
04Key numbers
A leaf is a small, busy food factory
Each glucose molecule is built from six carbon dioxide and six water molecules, releasing six oxygen.
- 6 — CO₂ molecules per glucose
- ~50 — Chloroplasts per cell
- ~1% — Sunlight stored as sugar
- 21% — Oxygen in the air
05Chart
Oxygen bubbles speed up as the lamp moves closer
Chart: Class 8A, Class 8B across 40 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm, 10 cm.
- Class 8A: 40 cm 6 · 30 cm 11 · 20 cm 19 · 10 cm 34
- Class 8B: 40 cm 5 · 30 cm 10 · 20 cm 21 · 10 cm 31
Bubbles per minute from pondweed. More light means faster photosynthesis: both classes saw a sixfold rise.
06At a glance
Key words for today
- Photosynthesis makes food from light — Plants use light energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, inside the chloroplasts of leaf cells.
- Chlorophyll — Green, absorbs light.
- Chloroplast — Where it all happens.
- Stomata — Pores that let gases in.
- Glucose — Sugar, stored as starch.
07Points
Three things every plant needs
Take any one away and photosynthesis slows down or stops.
- Light energy, trapped by chlorophyll in the palisade cells just below the leaf's upper surface.
- Carbon dioxide, which diffuses into the leaf through tiny pores called stomata on the underside.
- Water, drawn up from the roots through xylem vessels in the stem and into the leaf veins.
08Two columns
What goes in, and what comes out
Goes in
- Carbon dioxide from the air
- Water from the soil
- Light energy from the Sun
Comes out
- Glucose, for energy and growth
- Oxygen, released through stomata
- Starch, stored for later
09Comparison
Photosynthesis and respiration are mirror images
Photosynthesis
- Happens only in the light
- Takes in carbon dioxide
- Stores energy in glucose
Respiration
- Happens day and night
- Gives out carbon dioxide
- Releases energy from glucose
10Table
Starch test results from today's practical
Leaf Conditions Iodine colour Starch? Leaf A Full light Blue-black Yes Leaf B Kept in dark Orange-brown No Leaf C Foil-covered Orange-brown No Leaf D White patch Orange-brown No 11Timeline
Where this lesson fits in the unit
- Lesson 3Plant cells and their parts under the microscope.
- Lesson 4Today: the word equation and the starch test.
- Lesson 5Limiting factors: light, carbon dioxide and temperature.
- Lesson 6End-of-unit quiz and practical write-up.
12Process
How to test a leaf for starch
- BoilDip the leaf in boiling water for 30 seconds.
- EthanolWarm in ethanol in a water bath to remove the green.
- RinseRinse in warm water to soften the brittle leaf.
- IodineAdd iodine: blue-black means starch is present.
13Composed
One double lesson takes the class from question to evidence
- Starter: Quick quiz on plant cells (Students)
- Explain: Word equation built on the board (Teacher)
- Demo: Pondweed and lamp, live (Teacher)
- Practical: Starch test in pairs (Students)
- Exit ticket: Three questions in 5 minutes (Students)
Timing
- 10 min: starter and objectives
- 30 min: practical in pairs
- 5 min: exit ticket
Activity Who Outcome 1 Starter quiz Whole class Prior knowledge 2 Word equation Teacher-led Copied in books 3 Starch test Pairs Results table 4 Exit ticket Individual Marked by Friday Safety first
- Goggles on: For every step of the practical
- No flames: Ethanol is warmed in a water bath
- Hair tied back: Near kettles and water baths
Success looks like: Every pair records a clear result
14Image
Inside the leaf: built to catch light
A leaf is thin and flat to catch as much light as possible, with palisade cells packed with chloroplasts just under the surface.
- Stomata on the underside let gases in
- Veins bring water from the roots
Image: Labelled cross-section of a leaf showing palisade cells and stomata
15Team
Who to ask for help this unit
- Ms Amara Osei, Science teacher, Year 8. Lessons and homework questions.
- Mr Kenji Watanabe, Lab technician. Practical kit and safety.
- Ravi Menon, Teaching assistant. Support in the practical.
- Dr Lucia Ferreira, Head of Science. End-of-unit assessment.
16Quote
The one line to remember
“Carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen, powered by light energy.”
17Closing
Plants build themselves out of thin air
Homework: label the leaf diagram and write the word equation from memory. Due Friday.
Make your own version
Arcdeck starts from this topic in Pastel. Change it to yours, edit the storyline, and every slide is written for you.
Also works in
The same deck in other templates made for this kind of presentation.
Questions
This example has 17 for a double lesson with a practical. For one 50-minute lesson, 8 to 12 slides is usually enough: a starter, the objectives, two or three teaching slides, the activity and a recap. You can change the number of slides on the storyline before Arcdeck writes them.