Year 6 - Science
Growing yeast: plan (non-statutory)
Why we group and classify living things
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit covers the classification of living things, including micro-organisms, plants, and animals, based on observable characteristics. It explores reasons for classification and focuses on planning scientific enquiries, recording data, presenting findings, and evaluating scientific evidence.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to plan an investigation to find out about food sources for micro-organisms.
Key Notes
- Yeast is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including mould, mushrooms and truffles.
- Yeast is living and must get food from the surrounding environment to grow and reproduce.
- Yeast takes in nutrition from food and produces carbon dioxide gas.
- Yeast is a useful micro-organism used in beer and wine making, and baking.
- Scientists control variables during comparative test investigations to see the effect of changing one variable.
Vocabulary To Learn
- fungi: Fungi are organisms that include moulds, mushrooms, and yeasts. They feed on organic matter, usually from dead things.
- 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 Mistakes To Avoid
- 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.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Yeast is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including mould, mushrooms and truffles. Yeast is living and must get food from the surrounding environment to grow and reproduce.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'fungi'
Fungi are organisms that include moulds, mushrooms, and yeasts. They feed on organic matter, usually from dead things. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: 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. Correction: 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.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Carl Linnaeus and classification Study Guide
- Comparing characteristics of living things Study Guide
- Discovering and naming new species Study Guide
- Grouping micro-organisms Study Guide
- Growing yeast: do and review (non-statutory) Study Guide
- How and why we group animals Study Guide
- How and why we group plants Study Guide
- Micro-organisms are living things Study Guide
- Micro-organisms living on food: plan and do (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Micro-organisms living on food: review (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Microorganisms that help us (non-statutory) Study Guide
- The 5 Rs (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability) Study Guide
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