Cycle 2

In the previous cycle, students explored how plants and algae use the food that they made during the process of photosynthesis. They conducted investigations and developed models to show how food is broken down into smaller parts in order to get energy that can be used to do things like move and grow.

In this cycle, students apply what they have figured out about cellular respiration in order to redesign their photobioreactors. They use a simulation, a reading, and videos in order to figure out that plants do not just need light, air, and water- they also need elemental nutrients if they are going to be able to use the energy harvested in cellular respiration in order to make new cellular biomolecules. Students also will create a model to show that ultimately, the photosynthetic output of an organism is what will impact their ability to maximize cellular respiration and therefore growth.

This cycle will prepare students for the performance task, where they will use the data from the engineering design process in order to make a poster presentation to share their knowledge with a wider community. It will also prepare students for the next cycle, where they will consider how photosynthesis and cellular respiration cycle matter on a larger ecosystem scale.