Once upon a time there was a little

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Darla who lived on a wide countryside.

• There wildflowers growing stretched across the fields that made the field look a long flat rainbow. One sunny day, she went outside to pick some flowers.

• As she skipped through the fields looking for the perfect flower, she came across a daisy standing taller than the rest. She bent down to pick it when all of a sudden she heard a small voice shout “WAIT!”

• She looked down to see the flower was talking to her, and Darla said “What’s wrong? ”

• “I’m busy right now can you wait until I’m done with my job? ” said the flower. • “What job could a flower have? You’re just a plant!” • “I’m going through photosynthesis right now. ” • “What’s that? ” said the girl.

• “Photosynthesis is a process that uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce glucose, which is a sugar, and oxygen. ”

• “Why do you do that? What’s the point? ”

• “Photosynthesis is a process that is vital for all air breathing life on Earth! We produce the air you breathe, little girl. ”

“Oh I see… are plants the only things that go through photosynthesis? ”

• “No, algae and some kinds of bacteria do it as well. However, green plants are the only plants to produce oxygen and make fuel for themselves. ’”

• “How does it all work Mr. Flower? ”

• “Well young one, there are two steps in photosynthesis; the first is called the light reaction. In this step, water and minerals that were absorbed into the roots of a plant create chlorophyll, which captures the light energy from the sun and uses it to make highenergy molecules. ”

• “What’s the second step after it takes in the sunlight? ” • “From there, the second step called the Calvin Benson Cycle uses the high energy molecules to capture carbon dioxide. ”

• “When is the oxygen that we breathe made? ”

• “Well once the energy from the sun and the carbon dioxide work together in a place in the stoma to create glucose, they have oxygen left over that is released through the leaves into the atmosphere. ”

• “Jeez thanks Mr. Flower! I didn’t know how much work you did that created air for me to breathe!”

• “It’s just part of what I do Darla, you can pick me now if you would like. ” • “No that’s alright; I’ll let you do some more photothyzing… or whatever it’s called! Thank you Mr. Flower!”

• Once she left Mr. Flower’s patch of daisies, she ran home and told her mother all about her adventure and what she had learned.

• Darla had learned about a very important process that day, and she says thank you to all of the plants every day!