Photosynthesis & Energy
What gas do plants take in during photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide / CO₂.
What is a population?
A group of the same species living in the same area.
What does endangered mean?
A species is at risk of becoming extinct
Which Crosscutting Concept explains how one event leads to another?
Cause and Effect.
What is evidence in science?
Observations or data used to support a claim.
What are the two main outputs of photosynthesis?
Sugar/glucose and oxygen
If food resources decrease, what usually happens to the population that depends on them?
The population usually decreases.
Why can palm oil farming harm orangutans?
Rainforest is cleared for oil palm farms, reducing orangutan food, shelter, and habitat.
Which Crosscutting Concept explains how the parts or shape of something help it do a job?
Structure and Function.
What is a claim?
A statement or answer to a scientific question.
Where does the energy stored in sugar originally come from?
Sunlight / light energy.
Why do orangutans need so much forest space?
Their food is spread out, and they compete for limited resources.
Why is “just switch to another oil” not a simple solution to the palm oil problem?
Other oils also require land and may need even more land than palm oil.
Which Crosscutting Concept helps us understand how different parts interact in a larger whole?
Systems and System Models.
Why do scientists sometimes revise their explanations?
Because new evidence can change or improve their understanding.
Explain photosynthesis using inputs and outputs.
Plants use water, carbon dioxide, and light to make sugar/glucose and oxygen.
What does it mean when a population is stable?
It may go up and down some, but it does not crash or grow out of control.
Why must palm oil solutions consider farmers, not just animals?
Farmers depend on oil palm farming for income and supporting their families.
Which Crosscutting Concept helps us explain why something may stay steady, increase, decrease, or crash over time?
Stability and Change.
What should students use to support a scientific answer during a discussion or presentation?
Evidence from data, readings, observations, or models.
Why does sugar/glucose have calories, but water and carbon dioxide do not?
Sugar stores usable energy. Water and carbon dioxide are inputs, but they do not provide food energy.
Make a cause-and-effect statement connecting resources and population size.
If a needed resource decreases, then the population may decrease because organisms have less food, shelter, or space to survive and reproduce.
What makes an endangered species conservation plan complicated?
It must protect the species and habitat while also considering human needs, jobs, resources, and land use.
Which Crosscutting Concept helps us track where energy and materials go in photosynthesis?
Energy and Matter.
In a CER response, what does reasoning do?
Reasoning explains how the evidence supports the claim using science ideas