Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration Diagrams
These photosynthesis and cellular respiration diagrams are designed for fifth, sixth, and seventh grade science classrooms.
Help students begin learning these processes while completing the diagrams.
This is another free resource for teachers and homeschool families from The Curriculum Corner.
Photosynthesis, Leaf Cross Section, & Cellular Respiration
These diagrams are designed to help students learn and understand these life science concepts.
I have included a colorful, completed diagram for each picture. If needed, you can display the diagram on your screen so students can use it as a reference.
Photosynthesis
The words reactants and products were introduced when we talked about photosynthesis. Students knew what was needed for photosynthesis and what was produced. Even though it was not necessary according to the standards, students also wrote down the chemical equation for photosynthesis. We talked about how the sides were balanced. As a bonus on our quiz, students were allowed to write the equation and explain what they knew from our class discussion. It was beyond where they needed to be but some of my students who love science, were very motivated by being able to explain a chemical equation.
Leaf Cross Section
Along with looking at the diagrams, we also spent time in class looking at actual leaf pictures. We talked about each part of the leaf and tried to find them on a real picture I displayed on our screen. As a class, we thought of ways to help us remember the difference between part of the leaf. For example, students decided that spongy mesophyll made sense because there is space between the cells, just like a sponge has open spaces. We also looked at word parts whenever they fit. As a class, we were able to identify that epidermis reminded us of the word dermatologist. This helped students get to the root word and then build understanding.
Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration
While students were already familiar with photosynthesis when we began this unit of study, none were able to identify what came next. While introducing cellular respiration, we talked about it being necessary so that plants could convert stored energy into usable energy.
Using these pages
Before students began labeling, we watched videos to help build an understanding. There were countless videos on YouTube – many were very cringy songs high school and college students had written and recorded. Even though students were laughing, they enjoyed them and kept asking for more. When students were studying for a quiz later on, I heard lyrics from some of the songs as they quizzed each other.
After labeling and coloring, students placed the pages in their science notebooks. I had them write a title plus an explanation of photosynthesis and then cellular respiration.
The second page in the file includes definitions for the leaf cross section. I gave these to students once they had completed labeling and coloring their leaves. I had them cut out and glue the definitions onto their diagrams. They drew a line to show the part of the leaf it matched.
You can download this free set by clicking on the green apples below:
This is intended to be a free resource for teachers and homeschool families. You may copy for your personal use. You may not sell or modify and sell any of these materials.