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Cellular Respiration

Grade level: Ages 11-14

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Big idea

In the film Superhuman Body, with the aid of computer-generated imagery, we ride through our bloodstream with microscopic cells that appear several feet tall on the giant screen.

Activity overview

Using spinach leaves, baking soda, water and sunlight,  you can actually watch a plant photosynthesize and discover how that relates to our own cells producing energy from the food we eat, thanks to a special molecule called ATP.

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Videos in this lesson

Materials

  • Bunch of spinach leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 cups water (8 oz for each cup)
  • Dish soap
  • 1 plastic straw
  • 1 prescription syringe with no needle
  • 1 measuring spoon
  • 1 hole punch
  • 1 spoon
  • Marker
  • 1 desk lamp (optional)