Totally gross out your class with the eighth lesson in this series on food science. Explore the microscopic world of bacteria by taking swabs of different classroom objects and growing colonies in petri dishes. An engaging activity that will have your students washing their hands before every meal. If microscopes are available, allow learners to take an up-close-and-personal look at these single-celled organisms.

Concepts

bacteria, decomposers, making observations

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Additional Tags

bacteria, decomposer, scientific observation, science

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Pros

• Activity clearly demonstrates how bacteria are everywhere in the world around us
• Provides an engaging opportunity for practicing how to make and record observations
• Allows for interdisciplinary connections with the children's book The Mysterious Marching Vegetables, which is avlaible online for free

Cons

• Teacher must develop a lab sheet for recording observations and results