Essential Learnings Science 1.4 Describe how the structural and functional aspects of the body systems operate together in plants and animals to keep the organism alive. Science 1.5 Explain the relationships among the energy from the sun, photosynthesis, and energy needs of living organisms. Science 2.1 Record and summarize experimental data. Animals eat plants, we eat animals and plants. And plants produce their own food in a process called photosynthesis.
Plants absorb the light from the sun into small green pigments in the leaves called chlorophyll.
This combines with carbon dioxide and water to form oxygen and a simple sugar. This is called respiration, the opposite of photosynthesis. This cycle of respiration and photosynthesis maintains the earth's balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In the following experiment, you will see the affects to a plant's health when light to the plant is partially blocked or taken away completely. Begin by planting the 3 bean seeds in separate plastic cups.