1. Module 1 Intro

1.6. Lab

Lesson 1: Lab

Module 1—Energy Flow and the Cycling of Matter

 

Lab Lesson 1 Lab: Photosynthesis

 

You will find the necessary questions needed to complete this lab in the Module 1: Lesson 1 Assignment. The link to this assignment is found at the beginning of Lesson 1 in the Get Focused section.

 

Purpose

 

In this lab you will study photosynthesis in a variety of conditions. You will vary light intensity, carbon-dioxide levels, temperature, and the colour (wavelength) of light in order to find out how each factor affects oxygen production. Oxygen production is used to measure the rate of photosynthesis. See the instructions that follow about accessing the Photosynthesis Lab Gizmo to simulate photosynthesis.

 

limiting factor: any biotic or abiotic factor that controls or limits the functioning of an organism
Problem

  • Which conditions produce the best rate of photosynthesis?

  • How do limiting factors affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Part A: Lab Report

  • To assist with this lab go to the Lesson 1 Assignment document. Your lab report should be set up in the same format as this template. You will save your lab report in your course folder and later submit it to your teacher for assessment. You may want to access the Photosynthesis Laboratory Evaluation Rubric to see how the quality of your report is assessed.

  • Consider the problem and prepare a hypothesis before you open the Photosynthesis Lab Gizmo.

  • Open the Photosynthesis Lab Gizmo. You may need a LearnAlberta password to access this lab. Contact your teacher for this information.

  • Click on the “Exploration Guide” button just above the gizmo. Print and follow the procedure provided.

  • Answer the Observation questions in your lab report as you complete the lab simulation.

  • When you write your conclusion, make sure to answer the questions that were asked from the “Problem” section of the lab. Also state whether or not your hypothesis was correct. Support your answer with specific examples from the lab.

  • If you choose to work with a partner, make sure to indicate both names on your lab report.

Part B: Gizmo Questions

 

Once you have completed the lab and your lab report, answer the self-scoring assessment questions found in the gizmo. Check your results. You will receive an individual report of your self-scoring assessment results and an explanation of the science behind each answer. Select and copy the text from the self-scoring assessment. Paste the text into a word-processing document, and save these results to your online course folder. This is not to be marked by your teacher.

 

This document may be useful when you complete the unit essay question at the end of Unit A. It will also be revisited in Unit C, so be sure to save this assignment.