Simple Photosynthesis Activities

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight to produce energy. The process can be a challenging topic, difficult to teach, unless visual activities are used. Visual activities show children the way photosynthesis works. These projects can vary from the simplest drawing activity to a full science experiment in which growing plants are used. These activities can be used in the classroom environment, but are simple enough to do at home too.

Start by getting the students to draw a flower on a piece of paper. Ask them to continue their drawing by adding the sun, water, soil and rain. Next, get them to write carbon dioxide and draw an arrow towards the flower. On the opposite side, write the word oxygen and draw another arrow, but away from the flower this time. At the bottom of the plant, draw a sugar cube. Make sure to explain the process of photosynthesis as they are drawing as they go along.

Give each student two paper cups with a quick growing plant potted inside. Ask them to place one cup in a dark room and the other in the sunlight on a windowsill. Each child needs to water both flowers throughout the week. After a week has passed, get the children to bring over both their plants and ask them to evaluate the two. Explain that the plant had a sunlight deficiency while in the dark room so therefore photosynthesis wasn't possible and as a result the plant looks limp and is dying.

Have the students place a healthy, growing, leafy plant by the window for several days. Get the students to take construction paper and tape it over some of the leaves. Then after several days, get the students to remove the tape. The leaves covered in tape will be darker. Chlorophyll is what gives leaves their color and without sunlight, the leaves will lose that color.

Purchase some small plants and get your students to put them in test tubes filled with water. Plug the opening of the test tubes. During the next little while, bubbles will appear on the sides of the test tubes. This is a photosynthesis chemical response that shows plants changing carbon dioxide and water into food.