Students investigate how sunlight supports plant growth and how energy moves from the sun to plants to animals through hands-on experiments with seedlings, colored water, and leaf condensation. They use these observations and evidence from a plant investigation with a botanical garden educator to design and revise a science game that teaches younger students accurate food web and plant-needs concepts. Through playtesting, reflection, and feedback, students strengthen collaboration, communication, and problem solving while building strong explanations aligned to the science standards. The work culminates in a Food Web Carnival where their final games serve as models showing how the sun helps power every living thing.

Students will explain, using models and evidence from plant investigations, that the energy animals use for growth, movement, repair, and warmth originally comes from the sun through plants. Students will support the claim that plants get what they need for growth mainly from air and water by observing phototropism, colored-water transport, and condensation from leaves. Students will design, test, revise, and present a game that accurately shows energy flow in a food web and helps younger students understand the sun-to-plant-to-animal connection. Students will strengthen collaboration, communication, and self-direction by giving feedback during playtests, making targeted revisions, and reflecting on their teamwork and learning at the carnival.

Students create investigation logs, observation sketches, and simple evidence-based models from three hands-on plant experiments: seedlings bending toward light in a shoebox, colored water moving through xylem, and water droplets collected from bagged leaves. In teams, they turn this science learning into prototype games that show how energy moves from the sun to plants to animals, then revise those games through two short playtest rounds using peer feedback on accuracy, clarity, and participation. They also develop brief explanation cards or rules sheets that help younger students understand plant needs from air and water and the role of the sun in food webs. The final product is a polished board game, card game, or interactive carnival game presented at the Food Web Carnival for younger students.

Photosynthesis lab
Students use a syringe to sink spinach leaf punches in a baking soda solution, place them under a bright light, and watch them float back up as they produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

Host a Food Web Carnival for younger students where 5th graders run their finished board, card, or interactive games and teach visitors how energy moves from the sun to plants to animals. Set up the room like a science arcade with a game station, a simple model or experiment display from the plant investigations, and a short student explanation of how sunlight, air, and water support plant growth. Invite families and a local botanical garden educator to attend, ask questions, and give feedback on scientific accuracy, clarity, and engagement. End with a brief celebration circle where students share what they are most proud of in their game design, science learning, and teamwork.