Aim / Objective
To demonstrate how plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce food (glucose) and release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
Materials Required
- Rectangular cardboard box (base)
- Waste wooden stem (to act as plant trunk)
- Green color paper (for leaves)
- Brown paper or paint (for soil and tree trunk)
- Blue color paper or cotton (for sky and clouds)
- Yellow plastic ball or ping pong ball (for Sun)
- Small LED light (to place inside the ball)
- Switch and battery (to power the LED)
- Drinking straw or thin plastic tube (to show water flow)
- Glue, tape, scissors
- Sketch pens or markers
- Labels/tags (“Sunlight”, “Carbon dioxide”, “Oxygen”, “Water”, “Glucose”)
Model Construction / Steps
- Base Setup:
Take a rectangular cardboard box. Paint the top brown (soil) and the sides green or blue (ground and sky). - Tree Setup:
Fix a small wooden stick or dried branch vertically on the base (represents plant stem).
Paste green paper leaves on the stem using glue. - Roots:
Cut brown paper strips and paste them below the base or on one corner to represent roots absorbing water from soil. - Water Flow:
Attach a drinking straw from the “soil” area to the stem — label it “Water (H₂O)”. - Sunlight and Clouds:
- Fix a vertical cardboard wall at the back of the base.
- Stick blue color paper or cotton to represent clouds.
- On the top corner, attach the plastic yellow ball (Sun).
- Insert an LED light inside the ball connected to a small battery and switch at the back (can be turned ON to show sunlight).
- Air and Gas Exchange:
- On one side, use small arrows (made from paper) showing CO₂ going into leaves and O₂ coming out.
- Label them neatly.
- Final Decoration:
Add grass using green paper strips, label all parts clearly, and decorate with small paper butterflies or soil texture.
Working Principle
When the LED Sun is turned ON, it shows sunlight reaching the plant leaves.
- The roots absorb water from the soil.
- The leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
- Using sunlight energy, the plant converts water and carbon dioxide into glucose (food) and releases oxygen into the air.
This is the process of photosynthesis.
Scientific Explanation
Equation of Photosynthesis:
Carbon dioxide + Water + Sunlight → Glucose + Oxygen
Observation
When the light (Sun) is ON, it represents active photosynthesis.
When turned OFF, it shows that without sunlight, plants cannot prepare food.
Conclusion
Plants need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food and release oxygen.
This process maintains life balance on Earth by providing food and oxygen for all living beings.