Algae

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/algae

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the evolutionary origin?Evolved from early photosynthetic cyanobacteria over 2.5 billion years ago
2. What is the global oxygen production?Estimated to produce 50-85% of Earth's atmospheric oxygen
3. What are algae and why are they called green powerhouses?Algae are tiny plants that live in water and use sunlight to make food. They produce a huge amount of the Earth's oxygen, which is why they are called green powerhouses.
4. How did algae change Earth's atmosphere?Algae, especially early cyanobacteria, were the first to make oxygen from sunlight, changing the air and allowing more complex life to grow.

Paraphyletic Group: A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor but not all of its descendants.
Endosymbiotic Events: Processes where one organism lives inside another, leading to evolutionary partnerships.
Bioremediation: The use of living organisms to clean up environmental pollutants.