Link to Digital Storytelling video
Video Transcript
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants take the sun’s energy and use it to make their food from carbon dioxide and water. The process starts by leaves collecting this energy during the day. Carbon dioxide comes from the air and it is mainly released to the environment by animals. Water is collected underground and is absorbed by plants through their roots. Two main products are produced by Photosynthesis. One is glucose, which is used by plants as a food source to help them grow and develop. The other one is oxygen, which is used by all living things to carry out cellular respiration.
Although this definition can seem easy to grasp, the actual details of the photosynthetic process can be trivial, hair pulling, and unfortunately sometimes even boring to learn.
In my years of experience as a teacher I have encountered that the topic of Photosynthesis is simply complicated to understand and even harder to teach. To add to this dilemma students come to school with notions and misconceptions that can inhibit their understanding of an already difficult topic. I am sure we can all remember when we were young kids, our parents and even teachers telling us that all a plant needs to grow is water and soil. The problem is that students are misleading to believe that water and soil is actually food for plants. First of all, plants do not have the ability to eat. So it becomes difficult for them to recognize that actually plants have to make food internally by breaking down carbon dioxide and water by using the sun’s energy.
So what is the solution, the twist, for this learning situation? Well after much pondering and some hair pulling of my own, I recognized that visualization is an important part of learning Photosynthesis. I decided to have my students create a presentation using technology to show me their progress in learning about Photosynthesis. To help me with this idea, I realized what better technology tool to use than Prezi. Prezi is a free web-based presentation application that uses an interactive canvas where students can include graphics, video, and text. The final product is a visual flow of information that, in my opinion, can strengthen comprehension.
The idea of using Prezi also focuses on Piaget’s learning theory of Cognitive Constructivism; mainly on the fact that a teacher must build on the student’s prior knowledge, in other words they will construct on what they already know to improve understanding. Using this method of instruction will hopefully challenge the student to think critically and discover new information and eventually clear prior misconceptions.
I began the project by going over Prezi; this was in itself a challenge. About 80% of the students had never heard about it before. With some resistance to learn something new, they were finally convinced that maybe, if they gave it try, Prezi can help them with their understanding of Photosynthesis. Initially they did some research to find specific information about the subject by using the internet, discussions with classmates, their Biology books, and even went out to explore a bit on their own. Those who knew about Prezi already went ahead and started their presentations right away. They seemed really engaged and excited.
After some research, they began putting together their presentation. Some the requirements included to provide information as to where does carbon dioxide and water come from for the plant to use. They also had to explain how does the breakdown of carbon dioxide and water form glucose. More importantly they needed to add how do plants use “glucose” as a food and energy source to grow and develop. Lastly, they also needed to add what happens to oxygen as a product of photosynthesis and its importance for all other living things including humans.
After watching some of the finished presentations, I was overwhelmed to see how much effort had been put on them. Most students had gone above and beyond to make theirs the perfect one. They were colorful, included appropriate visuals, and had the proper flow of information. However, the main question is, have they fully comprehended the subject of Photosynthesis? To help me answer this question I decided to add an extra little twist. A day after they had submitted their Prezi presentation I gave them a quick-write assignment. The question was simply to use the equation of photosynthesis and explain what happens to the raw materials and products in the equation. It was a pleasant surprise to see that almost everyone in class was able to answer the question correctly. I understand that this is by no means an indication that the solution in teaching Photosynthesis has been found, but I truly believe we are heading towards the right path.
