Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Kit for AP Biology

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Teach both photosynthesis and cellular respiration simultaneously in a single lab. The Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Kit for AP Biology is a fun, easy to use, and more reliable alternative to the leaf disk and microrespirometer labs. Use the novel algae beads in this kit to help you dispel the common student misconception that plants do only photosynthesis, and only animals do cellular respiration.

Students will explore both photosynthesis and cellular respiration in a single organism (an alga) using a simple colorimetric assay to yield qualitative and/or quantitative results. The included student and teacher manuals will guide you and your students through a series of structured, guided, and open inquiry investigations.

Features and Benefits

The Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Kit is a ThINQ!™ Investigation, designed to make students think through scientific discovery. This kit contains curriculum and sufficient materials for eight student workstations to complete the following activities:

• 3 pre-lab activities — to review concepts and help students make cross-connections
• 6 inquiry investigations:
  • 2 structured inquiry investigations — to familiarize students with the core experiment and use of the scientific method
  • 4 open/guided inquiry investigations — to lead students through asking scientific questions, designing experiments, and analyzing results
• 1 AP-style post-lab assessment question — to test student learning
• 1 science case study — to apply student knowledge in real-world science scenarios

The Instructor's Guide gives you the tools to lead your class through multiple levels of inquiry:

• Teachable moment suggestions to help your students through the inquiry process
• Sample experimental designs and results for the inquiry investigations
• Tips and tricks suggested by teachers and scientists to help you save time, conserve supplies, and avoid common mistakes
• Answer key to the student manual (Science Case Study, Post-Lab Assessment, ThINQ! and Focus Questions)
• Alignment with the 2012 AP curriculum (essential knowledge, learning objectives, and science practices) to cover AP Big Idea 2 and cross-cut to Big Ideas 1 and 4

Use Bio-Rad's free teaching resources to enhance your students' learning experience with the Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Kit.

How It Works

The algae beads (microalgae encapsulated in alginate) included in this kit are easy to handle and can be used for multiple experiments. The algae beads are incubated in a CO₂ indicator solution that is sensitive to changes in pH caused by gaseous CO₂ dissolving in water to form carbonic acid according to this equilibrium:

CO₂ + H₂O ⇔ H₂CO₃ ⇔ HCO₃ + H⁺

The experimental setup of the Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Kit allows students to track photosynthesis by CO₂ consumption and cellular respiration by CO₂ production.

Teaching Resources

See the Documents tab for teaching resources and supporting materials such as:

• Planning Guide
• Student Manual
• Experimental Design and Planning Worksheet

Online Resources

• AP Biology
• Classroom Resources
• Keeping Current
• The Explorer Community