Photosynthesis+-+Limiting+Factors

**Limiting Factors affecting Photosynthesis**

**Author:** Meagan Morscher and Lisa McKenna

**Date:** 11/15/2010

**Topic/Concept:**  Limiting Factors affecting photosynthesis

**Type of Activity:**  Individual/group activity

**Prerequisite knowledge:** Understanding of the process of photosynthesis

**Materials Needed:**  Activity packet   Activity: [|PS_limiting_factors.pdf] <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Activity Key: [|PS_limiting_factors_KEY.pdf] <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Warm-up activity: [|PS_pre-activity_questions.pdf] <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">[|PSlimitingfactors_exitslip.pdf] <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Learning Goals: Illinois learning** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21a. I can identify the factors that affect the rate at which photosynthesis occurs. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21b. I can identify the factors that cause photorespiration to occur. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Common Problems/Misconceptions:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> graphing - misplacing independent/dependent variable axes, failure to explain shape of plot in detail (beyond "y increases as x increases") <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Detailed Description of Activity:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students use data provided to them to learn about the limiting factors affecting photosynthesis. Data is provided for the rate of PS as a function of varying CO <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 7.2pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: sub; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> concentration, light intensity, and temperature. The students graph the data and describe the relationship that it shows. They then use what they have learned, and other resources, primarily the textbook, to explain why the rate of photosynthesis is affected by the limiting factors.