New
New
Year 6

Growing yeast: plan (non-statutory)

I can plan an investigation to find out about food sources for micro-organisms.

New
New
Year 6

Growing yeast: plan (non-statutory)

I can plan an investigation to find out about food sources for micro-organisms.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Yeast is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including mould, mushrooms and truffles.
  2. Yeast is living and must get food from the surrounding environment to grow and reproduce.
  3. Yeast takes in nutrition from food and produces carbon dioxide gas.
  4. Yeast is a useful micro-organism used in beer and wine making, and baking.
  5. Scientists control variables during comparative test investigations to see the effect of changing one variable.

Keywords

  • Fungi - Fungi are a type of micro-organism that feed on organic matter.

  • Yeast - Yeast is a type of fungus. It is a micro-organism used for making bread.

  • Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a type of gas.

  • Comparative test - In a comparative test, the thing that is being changed has labels, such as the types of materials.

  • Variables - A variable is something that can be changed, measured or kept the same in an investigation.

Common misconception

Pupils may think yeast is not a living thing because it doesn’t appear to have any of the characteristics of living things when we look at it dry straight from the packet.

Explain that yeast is a type of fungus so it is a living thing in the micro-organisms group. Throughout the lesson, reinforce the characteristics it has that makes it a living thing, such as its ability to grow and reproduce.

Children will carry out their investigations in Lesson 10. Gather a range of packaging for baked goods, such as bread, biscuits, cakes and crackers. Children can look at the labels and see if yeast is in the recipe to show how this important ingredient is present in the foods they eat themselves.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Teachers may wish to have ready a set of equipment children could possibly use for carrying out their yeast investigation in Lesson 10 to help them make decisions about what they might need.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these materials is a gas?
milk
wood
Correct answer: carbon dioxide
flour
Q2.
When a liquid fizzes and bubbles are formed, what is inside the bubbles?
An image in a quiz
nothing
more of the fizzing liquid
water
Correct answer: gas
Q3.
All living things can reproduce. What does this mean?
Correct answer: they make more living things of the same type
they live together with living things of the same type
they hunt for food
they have a life cycle
Q4.
What are micro-organisms?
Correct answer: living things that are too small to see with the naked eye
non-living things that can be found almost everywhere
pieces of equipment that we can use to look at very small things
incredibly small animals that can live inside other living things
Q5.
What is a comparative test enquiry?
an investigation where everyone gets a turn
an investigation carried out by reading secondary sources
Correct answer: an investigation where all variables but one are kept the same
an investigation that doesn’t use much equipment
Q6.
Which of these statements about fungi are not correct?
Correct answer: All fungi are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
All fungi are living things.
All fungi need nutrition to grow and reproduce.
All fungi can grow.
Correct answer: All fungi are harmful to humans.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is not a living thing?
mushroom
yeast
Correct answer: flour
bacteria
Q2.
Which of these living things is not a type of fungus?
mushrooms
mould
Correct answer: bacteria
yeast
Q3.
Yeast is a very useful micro-organism. Which of these processes can we use yeast for?
cleaning surfaces
Correct answer: baking
Correct answer: making beer
building homes
growing vegetables
Q4.
Yeast needs nutrition to survive and reproduce. Where does yeast get its nutrition from?
Correct answer: it takes in food from its environment
it makes its own food using photosynthesis
it sends microscopic spores through air to find food
Q5.
Scientists control variables during comparative test enquiries. What are variables?
the findings of an enquiry
ideas about what you think might happen in the enquiry
things that can be shown visually in a graph
Correct answer: things that can affect the results
Q6.
When yeast takes in food, it produces a gas called ...
An image in a quiz
oxygen.
Correct answer: carbon dioxide.
fermentation.
sugar.
helium.