Year 6 - Science
Micro-organisms living on food: review (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 observe and describe what happens when food is left to decompose over time.
Key Notes
- Mould is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including yeast, mushrooms, lichens, and truffles.
- Mould can be observed and measured growing on food over time, following strict safety rules.
- Scientists present data in a variety of ways to help them form conclusions.
- Mould growth can be slowed or prevented in different ways, such as dehydration, refrigeration and adding preservatives.
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.
- 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 Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may not consider mould to be a living thing because it does not move in the ways we are familiar with animals moving.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Mould is a type of fungus and can be grouped with other fungi including yeast, mushrooms, lichens, and truffles. Mould can be observed and measured growing on food over time, following strict safety rules.
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 not consider mould to be a living thing because it does not move in the ways we are familiar with animals moving. Correction: 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 that is a living thing and part of the micro-organisms group.
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: plan and do (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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