Tab Topics 3

Raw Materials

The game can help...

Students playing the game will observe that the robot is able to make all the materials he needs (glucose, methanol, and tear gas). Ultimately, all these materials are made from the basic building blocks of carbon dioxide and water. This mirrors how plants generate the vast majority of their raw materials: by using photosynthesis to create glucose, which they then use for energy and as a building block for nearly all the materials they need to survive.

Photosynthesis Slideshow

Slide 15 explains that the glucose produced in photosynthesis is used to make all the materials the plants need to grow and thrive.

Download slideshow PPT

What the Textbooks Say

Most textbooks cover the raw materials plants require to survive and grow: carbon dioxide absorbed through the leaves, water and inorganic nutrients absorbed through the roots, and glucose. Some texts explicitly say that green plants make all the materials necessary for growth from the carbon dioxide and water they take in. In spite of this, one common misconception is that plants grow by sucking up soil through their roots.

See supporting classroom activities