Development of a curriculum for the primary and secondary levels to achieve accurate understanding of photosynthesis.

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After analyzing the present and new official science curriculum and the science textbooks for the primary and secondary levels, we concluded that it is difficult for the students to grasp accurately photosynthetic phenomena under the present and new curriculum. Our research project was organized to develop an innovative photosynthesis curriculum under which secondary level students will be able to acquire the ability hoped for. For the primary level photosynthesis is taught only on terrestrial higher plants. For the secondary level it is desirable that the topic is taught both on higher and lower plants because students will study the function and role of these plants as producers in ecosystems including those of fresh-water and sea water. We have made up some modules which are useful for the secondary level to study photosynthesis. These are: (1) utilization of seaweeds for photosynthesis study in which a simple method for making beautiful seaweed herbariums and for keeping their color is described; (2) detection of starch accumulated in the chloroplast by electron microscope; (3) detection of photosynthetic oxygen evolution using a synthetic dye, leucobarbelin blue, instead of indigo white and (4) volumetric measurement of photosynthetic oxygen evolution from a leaf segment of terrestrial higher plant using the 'Productmeter'. Together with the exercise previously developed for measuring photosynthetic activity of seaweed using the same equipment, the last module can help students understand photosynthesis quantitatively.