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Body Lab 3-5 / Week 06 / Friday
5/6
Week 06 · Digestion

Friday

Energy from the Sun
// Food's long trip, powered by the Sun
⏱ about 15 min

Friday: Energy from the Sun

Rocket munches an ear of corn at a picnic. "Food gives me energy to run," he says. "But where does food get energy?"

Raven points at the cornfield. "What do you notice the corn plants are soaking up?"

Nova hovers above the field, glowing in the sunshine. "Follow the energy backward," she says. "Start with your snack."

Rocket squints up at the sky. "No way. The Sun?"

Plants catch sunlight

Plants make their own food. They use energy from sunlight.

They also use water and a gas from the air, carbon dioxide.

This is called photosynthesis (foe-toe-SIN-thuh-sis).

That energy gets captured in the plant's parts, like its leaves, seeds and fruits.

From the Sun to you

When you eat corn, rice, beans or an apple, you get energy the plant captured.

That energy was once energy from the Sun!

Digestion breaks food down so your body can use that energy.

Food gives your body energy to move, to grow and to stay warm.

Food also gives your body what it needs to repair itself.

FOLLOW THE ENERGY
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
ENERGY CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Where did the energy in a carrot first come from?
What do plants use to make their own food?
Which does food energy help your body do?
Try it
On paper, draw an energy flow chart with arrows.
Start with the Sun. Add a plant food, like rice or a pear.
Add you. Then add something you do with the energy.
Label each arrow with the word energy.
StatementTrue or false?
Plants make their own food using sunlight.?
The energy in an apple was once energy from the Sun.?
People make food from sunlight the way plants do.?
Digestion helps your body use the energy in food.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEPlants catch sunlight. People get that energy by eating and digesting food.
A SUNNY DAY'S ENERGY TRIP
  • ?Sunlight reaches a bean plant.
  • ?The plant makes food and captures energy in its beans.
  • ?A family cooks and eats the beans.
  • ?Digestion breaks the beans down.
  • ?Nutrients pass into the blood and power the body.
WHY THIS EXERCISEEnergy moves from the Sun to the plant to you, with digestion in between.
What do we call the way plants make food from sunlight? Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEPhotosynthesis is how plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make food.
The energy in food was once energy from the ____.
Plants take in the gas carbon ____ from the air.

You traced energy all the way to the Sun! Tomorrow is Body Lab Day. Your family plays the digestion path game.

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