Loading [MathJax]/extensions/MathMenu.js
DP Biology: Light Dependent Reactions

InThinking Revision Sites

INTHINKING REVISION SITES

Own your learning

Why not also try our independent learning self-study & revision websites for students?

We currenly offer the following DP Sites: Biology, Chemistry, English A Lang & Lit, Maths A&A, Maths A&I, Physics, Spanish B

"The site is great for revising the basic understandings of each topic quickly. Especially since you are able to test yourself at the end of each page and easily see where yo need to improve."

"It is life saving... I am passing IB because of this site!"

Basic (limited access) subscriptions are FREE. Check them out at:

www.StudyIB.net

Light Dependent Reactions

  • /
  • Additional HL/
  • HL Metabolism Activities for Learning/
  • Light Dependent Reactions

This activity reviews the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis which occurs on the thylakoids of the chloroplast.  A first activity introduces the parts of the membrane and the stages of the reactions, a second activity uses SOLO hexagons to give students an opportunity to organise the ideas into a sequence or into groups. The final activity illustrates a method of remembering a complex sequence of reactions like this. It's worth trying, it could be some fun and it may be just the breakthrough some students need.

Lesson Description

Guiding Questions

The diagram on the right summarizes photosynthesis.

In what ways is the diagram lacking detail?

Water is used in the light dependent reactions - what happens to it?

What happens to the hydrogen from the water molecule?

Activity 1 - A brief overview of the light dependent reactions

Look at the slides below and pay particular attention to the details of the explanation.

  

Activity 2 - Light dependent reactions SOLO hexagons activity

Learning is much easier when the facts are linked to each other in some way. Working out the links in a process like photosynthesis is an important part of the learning.

Use the Light dependent reactions SOLO hexagons worksheet.  Cut out the hexagons and to do one of the following activities

  1. Describe each of the terms in your own words
  2. Put the terms in an order which best explains how the reactions occur.
  3. Group the terms in some way and explain why. (For example PSII and PSI)

Click the eye icon to display a suggested order of the reactions

Activity 3 - Memory training - putting things into your brain!

"Many students today study too much, they don't trust their brain and so just keep studying. They don't know how to put things into their brian the way the brain likes it." says Idriz Zogaj.

This activity will get you thinking about the best way to train your memory.  Watch this short video clip of Idriz Zogaj explaining how he memorizes a whole pack of 52 cards by looking at them just once. We only have 14 summary points.

Learning - the way your brain likes it.

Make a fun vivid animated story to connect key words together? 
Use all your senses.
Make it 3D, something you could walk through or into.

"When your brain has fun you focus on the task ... and you reinforce the power of memory."
 

.

Try this with pairs of hexagons

Start by choosing the pairs, then highlight key words.

Then make up a fun vivid animated story in 3D which links the words. 
You can do this in your own mind without writing it down ... but also try doodling as you make up the story if you like.

Click the eye icon to see an example.

To see a list of the 14 statements (click the eye icon)

Test yourself by trying to remember the partners for each of the following key terms

(These are taken from the example above - so close the example box and cover your notes before beginning the test)

Thylakoid membrane
Chlorophyll in photosystem II
Excited electrons
Proton concentration gradient
Photosystem I
ATP synthase
ATP

Teachers' notes

This activity begins with some slides and a teacher will probably want to talk through these slides with their class.

There are other approaches which may involve the students giving more attention to the details. 

  1. Students could look at the slides and make short notes.
  2. Students could be given the 14 statements on the summary slide and asked to use the other slides to organise the correct order.

Activity 2 gives students time to make links between the steps using SOLO hexagons.  Students can work at different levels and teachers get instant feedback about their understanding by just looking at the layout of the cards and the way a student is working.  

Possible tasks (in order from easy to harder:)

  • Describe each hexagon in your own words.
  • Make groups / pairs of hexagons which are connected in some way.
  • Order the hexagons into a sequence which best describes the light dependent reactions.

Activity 3 is a slightly novel idea but based on a well known method of memory training.  Perhaps this is best as an extension activity for faster students, but maybe it would be more help to students who have difficulty remembering.

This short (4 minute) video clip explains how light in the photosystems creates excited electrons, and illustrates some of the parts of the light independent reactions which also introducing the latest thinking about this, "quantum superpositioning".

Worth watching.