New
New
Year 6

Micro-organisms living on food: review (non-statutory)

I can observe and describe what happens when food is left to decompose over time.

New
New
Year 6

Micro-organisms living on food: review (non-statutory)

I can observe and describe what happens when food is left to decompose over time.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Mould is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including yeast, mushrooms, lichens, and truffles.
  2. Mould can be observed and measured growing on food over time, following strict safety rules.
  3. Scientists present data in a variety of ways to help them form conclusions.
  4. Mould growth can be slowed or prevented in different ways, such as dehydration, refrigeration and adding preservatives.

Keywords

  • Mould - Mould is a type of fungi which grows and forms a fuzzy coating on organic matter.

  • Micro-organism - A micro-organism is a very tiny living thing.

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

  • Conclusion - In a conclusion, scientists explain what the results show or mean.

  • Data - Data is information collected during an investigation. It may be numbers, symbols, pictures or text.

Common misconception

Pupils may not consider mould to be a living thing because it does not move in the ways we are familiar with animals moving.

Remind pupils that all living things grow, reproduce and move, and that mould can do all of these things. It is a type of fungus. Which is a living thing that is part of the micro-organisms group.

This lesson links to Lesson 6 in this unit. Photos of moulding food can be printed and placed alongside each other for children to clearly see how their mould grew over time. You could also turn these into a gif using free online tools so that they look like a time-lapse video of mould growth.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Mouldy food set up as part of lesson 6 in this unit (optional, but preferred).

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
  • Exploration of objects

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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.
What is a conclusion?
an idea about what might happen during an investigation
a list of steps to carry out an investigation
a set of results gathered during an investigation
Correct answer: an explanation of the results from an investigation
Q2.
Which of these types of diagram is a line graph?
Correct answer: A
B
C
Q3.
This type of diagram is called a graph.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: bar, bar chart
Q4.
What do fungi, insects and arachnids all have in common?
Correct answer: they are all living things
they are all invertebrates
they are all animals
they are all microscopic
Q5.
Which of these sentences about mould is not correct?
Mould can reproduce using spores.
Correct answer: Mould is a type of plant.
Mould is a living thing.
Mould grows on organic matter.
Q6.
What unit of measurement would we use to describe the area of something?
millilitres (ml)
grams (g)
Correct answer: centimetres squared (cm²)
kilometres (km)
Q2 image 3 UYSEG

6 Questions

Q1.
Why might scientists use a bar or line graph to show their results?
An image in a quiz
to practise their maths skills
to make their data look more attractive to other people
Correct answer: to make it easier to analyse and draw conclusions from their data
to make their data more confusing
Q2.
Which of these safety precautions should we take when carrying out observations of mouldy food in sealed bags?
An image in a quiz
Only open the bags of food to make observations.
Only open the bags of food if we are wearing gloves and goggles.
Only open the bags of food when we are ready to throw them away.
Correct answer: Never open the bags containing food.
Q3.
Mould, mushrooms and yeast belong to a group of micro-organisms called .
Correct Answer: fungi, fungus
Q4.
What are preservatives?
substances that kill micro-organisms
substances that can be found inside fungi
Correct answer: substances that make it harder for mould to grow
substances that encourage mould growth
Q5.
Jun is investigating mould growth by leaving sealed bags of bread in different places. In which of these places would the mould grow the slowest?
An image in a quiz
in a sunny spot on a windowsill
on a shelf above a radiator
Correct answer: outside in frosty weather
on the teacher’s desk
Q6.
Which of these actions could slow down the growth of mould?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: adding preservatives
adding moisture
Correct answer: keeping in a sealed bag
Correct answer: keeping in a fridge
keeping in a warm place