Natural Sciences and Technology
Grade 6
Term 1: Life and Living
Topic 1: Photosynthesis
(PPT 1)
Topic 1
Photosynthesis
Unit: Plants and Food
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
How do plants keep alive?
Unlike humans and
animals, plants are able
to produce their own
food.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
How do they do this?
Through a process called photosynthesis.
photo = light
synthesis = putting together
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
What is photosynthesis?
It is the process by which plants
use sunlight energy, carbon dioxide
(from the air) and water to produce
food (glucose) and oxygen.
light + carbon dioxide + water ----> glucose +
oxygen
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
What is needed for
photosynthesis to happen?
 sunlight
 carbon dioxide
 water
 chlorophyll
 soil
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Sunlight
• Sunlight has energy.
• Plants use this energy to make sugars
from water and carbon dioxide.
• This energy is used to split water into
hydrogen and oxygen.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Carbon dioxide
• The plant absorbs (takes in) carbon
dioxide from the air through little holes.
• The little holes are found all over the
plant, but they are mostly under the
leaves.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Water
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All living things contain water.
Plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil
through their veins.
Photosynthesis can only take place in a water
solution.
Water helps to move the sugar from the leaves to
where it is stored by the plant (e.g. roots or leaves
or fruits).
The water also supports the plant to stand upright.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Chlorophyll
• This is a green substance found in the
leaves of a plant.
• The plant uses chlorophyll to absorb
light energy from the sun.
• Plants need chlorophyll to use the
sunlight energy to make food.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Soil
• There is mineral nutrients and water in
the soil that are used by the plant for
photosynthesis.
• The soil also anchors the plant so that it
does not fall over.
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1
Gr 6 Natural Sciences and Technology – Term 1, Topic 1