Mississippi Science L.5.3A.2
The Standard
- L.5.3A
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of photosynthesis and the transfer of energy from the sun into chemical energy necessary for plant growth and survival.
Analyze environments that do not receive direct sunlight and devise explanations as to how photosynthesis occurs, either naturally or artificially.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Ecology and Interdependence
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students decide whether light reaches plants in places without direct sun. They explain how indirect sunlight or a lamp can provide light for photosynthesis, and why total darkness cannot.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a shaded forest floor, a lit indoor shelf, and a dark cave, a student identifies where plants can photosynthesize. They name the light source in each place that has one.
Common Misconceptions
- Some students think plants need direct sunlight, so a plant in shade cannot make food. Others think soil and water are enough for photosynthesis, even in total darkness.
How to Assess It
- Give students three cards: shaded forest floor, dark cave, and cave with a grow light. Ask them to mark where photosynthesis can happen and name the light source.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Use a flashlight and white paper to reflect light onto a leaf behind cardboard; compare it with a leaf in an unlit box.
Ask students to write: Can a plant photosynthesize in a cave if we add a grow light? Explain why.
Have pairs sort cards labeled shaded forest, deep cave, lit aquarium, and windowless room with a grow light by whether light reaches plants.
Show a photo of a windowless indoor farm; have students circle the grow lights and explain how the lettuce gets light.
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Printable L.5.3A.2 Worksheet
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