Assessment
- Matter tracing: note if students are able to recognize that the same atoms that were in the reactants are also in the products.
- Energy tracing: note the ways that students explain how chemical energy is conserved through both digestion and biosynthesis.
Tips
- This activity may not be appropriate for middle school students due to its emphasis on molecular details of biosynthesis.
- Laminate the Molecular Models 11 x 17 Placemat. These will be used multiple times in each unit.
- During the molecular modeling activity and animation, focus on how matter and energy are conserved through the chemical change. This is the main goal of the activity!
- If students have already completed the modeling of biosynthesis activity from the Animals or Decomposers Unit, you may want to skip those portions of the activity.