Poison for One – Food for Another

1. Look at the graphs in Worksheet 1. Analysing data from graphs showing increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and analyse the data.
2. Note the trends for annual carbon dioxide emissions and the resulting consequences.
3. Use the given guiding questions to formulate your conclusions and participate in a class discussion.

• • Is there a rapid increase in atmospheric CO₂ levels?
  • What is the relationship between the increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and emissions due to human activity? Is the increase stable?
  • What are the trends? Are levels continuing to rise faster and faster?
  • What could this mean for the environment and all living things on this planet?

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To download: Worksheet 1. Analysing data from graphs showing increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

What is photosynthesis?

It is the method by which plants are fed. Plants produce their own food using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis:

1. Absorption of sunlight. This energy is used to power the process of photosynthesis.
2. Plants absorb water from the ground through their roots. This water is transported to the leaves through specialised tissues.
3. Carbon dioxide uptake. Plants take up carbon dioxide from the air and through small openings called stomata, located primarily on the underside of the leaves.

Plants use energy from sunlight to combine water and carbon dioxide. This process is called photosynthesis. Plants use chlorophyll in the chloroplasts to aid this process. Amazingly, when plants produce food through photosynthesis, they also release oxygen as a byproduct. This oxygen is critical for sustaining life on Earth and is what we, along with other living organisms, breathe.