Year 6 - Science
Micro-organisms living on food: plan and do (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 predict what happens when food is left to decompose over time.
Key Notes
- Mould is a micro-organism. It is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including yeast and mushrooms.
- Mould is common in moist materials and food, such as fruit, bread, cheese and meat.
- Mould needs moisture, warmth and nutrients to grow well.
- Mould can be observed growing on food over time, following strict safety rules.
- Scientists make predictions about what will happen based on the evidence they already have.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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 organisms that include moulds, mushrooms, and yeasts. They feed on organic matter, usually from dead things.
- nutrients: Nutrients are important substances that living things use to stay alive and healthy.
- moist: Something that is moist is damp or a little wet.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that mould is a type of plant because of its colour or the way it grows.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Mould is a micro-organism. It is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including yeast and mushrooms. Mould is common in moist materials and food, such as fruit, bread, cheese and meat.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'mould'
Mould is a type of fungi which grows and forms a fuzzy coating on organic matter. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that mould is a type of plant because of its colour or the way it grows. Correction: Explain that plants make their own food using photosynthesis and mould does not, so it cannot be a plant. Instead, it gets its nutrients from the organic matter that it is growing on. Also, unlike plants, mould does not need light to survive or grow.
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
- Growing yeast: plan (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: 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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