You will learn
- Explain that leaves make food.
- List what a plant needs to make food.
- Compare leaf shapes.
- Link light to leaves.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Leaves make food by photosynthesis.
- They use light, air and water.
- Chlorophyll makes leaves green.
- Veins carry water and food.
Words to know
how plants make food using light
the green material in leaves
a tube in a leaf
the outside of something
1. Discover: The covered leaf
Akosua covers one leaf of a plant with black card for a week. The covered part turns pale yellow, while the other leaves stay green. “The leaf lost its colour when it had no light,” she tells her teacher.
Think: Why does light matter for a leaf?
2. Understand: Leaves
Idea 1: Making food
Leaves make food by photosynthesis. They use light from the Sun, air and water to make food for the plant.
Idea 2: Green material
Chlorophyll is the green material in leaves. It catches light. Without light, leaves lose their green colour.
Idea 3: Leaf parts
Veins carry water into the leaf and food out. Leaves are flat to catch more light. Shapes and surfaces differ between plants.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Needs
What do leaves need?
- Light.
- Air.
- Water.
Answer: Light, air and water.
Example 2 (We do it together): Colour
Why green?
- Chlorophyll.
- Catches light.
- Colour.
Answer: Chlorophyll makes leaves green.
Example 3 (You try): Veins
What do veins do?
Show the steps and answer
- Carry water.
- Carry food.
- Tubes.
Answer: Veins carry water and food.
Did you know?
Leaves of the giant water lily can be over two metres wide and hold a child’s weight if spread out.
Why this matters
Plants make food in leaves, and animals eat plants. This feeds almost all life.
4. Explore: Leaf rubbing
Compare leaf shapes and veins.
- Collect fallen leaves.
- Place paper over one.
- Rub with crayon.
- Compare shapes and veins.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Leaves had different shapes but all had veins.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Leaves make ___.
- They need ___, air and water.
- ___ makes leaves green.
- ___ carry water.
Guided practice
Question 1. What do leaves make?
Food.
Question 2. What do they need?
Light, air, water.
Question 3. What is chlorophyll?
Green material.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What do leaves make?
- What do they need?
- What is chlorophyll?
- What are veins?
- Why are leaves flat?
Level 2: Grow
- Why pale covered leaf?
- Why do animals need leaves?
- Why many shapes?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make a leaf rubbing.
- Explain photosynthesis.
- Sort leaves by shape.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
Name a leaf you eat.
Show a sample answer
Spinach.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They make food in leaves.
Fix: Chlorophyll.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can explain that leaves make food.
- I can list what a plant needs to make food.
- I can compare leaf shapes.
- I can link light to leaves.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Leaves make food by photosynthesis.
- They use light, air and water.
- Chlorophyll makes leaves green.
- Veins carry water and food.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Flower functions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What do leaves make? [1 mark]
- Name three needs. [3 marks]
- What is chlorophyll? [2 marks]
- Explain the covered leaf. [3 marks]
- Safety rule? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Food [1]
- Light [1]; air [1]; water [1]
- Green material [1]; catches light [1]
- No light [1]; no food [1]; pale [1]
- Any [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What do leaves make?
- What do they need?
- What is chlorophyll?
- What are veins?
- Why are leaves flat?
- Why pale covered leaf?
- Why do animals need leaves?
- Why many shapes?
- Make a leaf rubbing.
- Explain photosynthesis.
Homework
Collect fallen leaves and make three rubbings. Label the veins.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What do leaves make? | Food. | 1 |
| 2. What do they need? | Light, air, water. | 1 |
| 3. What is chlorophyll? | Green material. | 1 |
| 4. What are veins? | Tubes in leaves. | 1 |
| 5. Why are leaves flat? | Catch light. | 1 |
| 6. Why pale covered leaf? | No light. | 1 |
| 7. Why do animals need leaves? | They eat plants. | 1 |
| 8. Why many shapes? | Different plants. | 1 |
| 9. Make a leaf rubbing. | Rubbing. | 1 |
| 10. Explain photosynthesis. | Paragraph. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Food.; 2 Light, air, water.; 3 Green material.; 4 Tubes in leaves.; 5 Catch light.. Level 2: 1 No light.; 2 They eat plants.; 3 Different plants.. Level 3: 1 Rubbing.; 2 Paragraph.; 3 Table..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Explain that leaves make food | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 List what a plant needs to make food | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Compare leaf shapes | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Link light to leaves | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Plants eat soil.” They make food in leaves.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Explain how leaves make food.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns how leaves make food. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Look at leaves outside.
- Ask, “What is the vein?”
- Never look at the Sun.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: explain that leaves make food; list what a plant needs to make food; compare leaf shapes; link light to leaves.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 plant ideas: the parts of a plant, what seeds need to grow, and the plant life cycle.
Materials. Fallen leaves, paper, crayons. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Collect leaves from safe places.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show leaves and ask, “Why are they green?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach photosynthesis.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners make rubbings.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What do leaves make? What do they need?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Plants eat soil.” They make food in leaves.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Explain how leaves make food. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 3 Unit 2, topic 4; Next Generation Science Standards, structure and function and life cycles of plants; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 3, plants and humans; IB Primary Years Programme, how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.