Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis Board Game

In Photosynthesis, take your trees through their life-cycle, from seedling to full bloom to rebirth, and earn light points as their leaves collect energy from the revolving sun’s rays. Carefully pick where you sow and when you grow, as trees in the shadows are blocked from light, and from light points. Players score light points if their trees are in the direct lines of sun rays or taller than the trees blocking them from the sun rays. In the second phase, players use their light points to reserve seeds or trees, and then plant or grow them on the board. Points are scored by maturing trees and removing them from the board.

Photosynthesis & Ecosystem: Student Worksheet

Answer the following in your notebook.

Part 1: Pre-Game Questions

What do plants need to grow? List at least three factors.
Why do some trees in a forest grow taller than others?
How does photosynthesis help trees survive?

Part 2: Gameplay Observations

Describe the strategy you used in the game to grow your trees.
How did other players' tree placement affect your ability to get sunlight?
What happened when a tree was in the shadow of another tree?

Part 3: Post-Game Analysis

How does the game Photosynthesis model real-world forest ecosystems?
What real-world factors (e.g., climate change, deforestation) might change the way trees grow in a forest?
How does the game illustrate energy flow in an ecosystem?

Part 4: STEM Career Connection

Many scientists and professionals study forests, plant growth, and ecosystems.

Search the STEM Career Repository for different keywords to find an interesting career related to environments.
Choose one career and describe how it might relate to the concepts in the game.

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