This online resource provides a way of demonstrating photosynthesis in action.
The procedure used for this investigation was produced by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis.
It is well illustrated and uses leaf disks suspended in water to demonstrate the production of oxygen during photosynthesis.
Australian Curriculum v9 Codes: AC9S8U01 (Year 8), AC9S8U02 (Year 8)
Plant ecology - oxygen-producing plants: What aquatic plants are legal to use for photosynthesis experiments in Australia, in particular Western Australia?
Good oxygen producing plants are Ceratophyllum demersum (fox tail, a hornwort), Elodea canadensis (Elodea) and Hydrilla verticillata. However, all three are aquatic weeds and banned in various states across Australia.
Are we allowed to grow any of these plants in the school environment for biology experiments?
This activity guide looks at how to quantify photosynthesis.
The resource details a hands-on activity in which students learn a simple technique for quantifying the amount of photosynthesis that occurs in a given period of time.
In this activity, students use this technique to compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur under low and high light levels. However, before they begin the experiment, students are asked to come up with a well-worded hypothesis to be tested.
