Year 8 Photosynthesis and Plants Worksheet - Beginner

Year 8 Photosynthesis and Plants worksheet for Year 8 (Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)). Beginner level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)•Plantsbeginner

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Photosynthesis: Powering the Plant World

Year 8 • Ages 12–13 • Beginner

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Instructions: Work through each activity in order. Use the word banks, data and food-web information provided, and show your reasoning where asked. Each question is about how plants make food and support life.

Build the Photosynthesis Word Equation

Use the word bank to complete each sentence. The word equation describes the substances used and made during photosynthesis. Remember that light energy is needed for the process.

Word bank: carbon dioxide, water, glucose, oxygen, light energy

1. Photosynthesis uses __________ and __________ as its raw materials.

2. The plant makes __________, a sugar it can use or store.

3. __________ is released as a product of photosynthesis.

4. Complete the word equation: carbon dioxide + water —→ glucose + oxygen. Write the missing condition above the arrow.

Leaf Structure: Form and Function

Use the word bank to complete each statement about a leaf. Each word is used once. Link each structure to the job it performs.

Word bank: waxy cuticle, stomata, chloroplasts, air spaces, veins

1. The __________ is a thin, transparent layer that helps reduce water loss from the leaf surface.

2. Tiny openings called __________ allow carbon dioxide to enter and oxygen to leave.

3. __________ contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy.

4. The __________ inside a leaf help gases move between cells.

5. Leaf __________ carry water to the leaf and transport sugars away.

Investigate Photosynthesis Rates

Study the results from a pondweed investigation. Only one factor was changed in each comparison. Use the data to identify patterns and make a simple prediction.

Condition	Distance from lamp (cm)	Bubbles per minute
A	20	18
B	40	10
C	60	6
D	20 with green filter	8

1. Which condition produced the greatest number of bubbles per minute?

2. From A to B, what happened to the bubble rate as the lamp was moved farther away?

3. Name the factor changed between conditions A and D.

4. Give one other factor, besides light intensity, that can affect the rate of photosynthesis.

Minerals Plants Need

Use the word bank to identify the mineral that best fits each description. Think about how each mineral supports healthy growth. Write one mineral name in each box.

Word bank: nitrate, magnesium, phosphate, potassium

1. This mineral is needed to make amino acids and proteins for growth.

2. This mineral is needed to make chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

3. This mineral supports healthy root growth and is used to make DNA.

4. This mineral helps plants grow well and supports flower and fruit development.

Food Chains and Food Webs

Use the food-chain information below. An arrow points from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it, showing the direction in which energy is transferred. Then answer each question.

Meadow food web:

Grass → grasshopper → frog → hawk

Grass → rabbit → hawk

Grasshopper → small bird → hawk

1. Which organism is a producer?

2. Name one primary consumer in this food web.

3. What does an arrow from rabbit to hawk show?

4. Name one organism that eats the grasshopper.

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. carbon dioxide and water ; 2. glucose ; 3. oxygen ; 4. light energy

Activity 2: 1. waxy cuticle ; 2. stomata ; 3. chloroplasts ; 4. air spaces ; 5. veins

Activity 3: 1. Condition A ; 2. The rate decreased, from 18 to 10 bubbles per minute ; 3. Light colour/wavelength (green filter) ; 4. Any one of carbon dioxide concentration or temperature

Activity 4: 1. nitrate ; 2. magnesium ; 3. phosphate ; 4. potassium

Activity 5: 1. Grass ; 2. Grasshopper or rabbit ; 3. Energy is transferred from the rabbit to the hawk when the hawk eats it ; 4. Frog or small bird