Year 6 - Science
Microorganisms that help us (non-statutory)
Why we group and classify living things
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Study Guides
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 explain how micro-organisms can be used to improve our health.
Key Notes
- Antibiotics are medicines that fight infections caused by micro-organisms called bacteria.
- Penicillin belongs to a group of medical drugs called antibiotics.
- Penicillin is made from a type of mould.
- In 1928, Scottish doctor, Alexander Fleming, discovered the effects of penicillin.
- The discovery of penicillin was one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 1900s.
Vocabulary To Learn
- antibiotics: Antibiotics are a type of medicine that can kill bacteria.
- bacteria: Bacteria are a type of micro-organism that can be found in all natural environments.
- Alexander Fleming: Dr Alexander Fleming was a Scottish scientist who discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin.
- penicillin: Penicillin is a type of antibiotic made from a fungus.
- mould: Mould is a type of fungi which grows and forms a fuzzy coating on organic matter.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that all moulds and fungi are harmful and no useful products can be extracted from them.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Antibiotics are medicines that fight infections caused by micro-organisms called bacteria. Penicillin belongs to a group of medical drugs called antibiotics.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'antibiotics'
Antibiotics are a type of medicine that can kill bacteria. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that all moulds and fungi are harmful and no useful products can be extracted from them. Correction: Explain that, while many moulds and fungi can be harmful to humans and other animals, many have uses in medicine such as penicillin, once they have been properly processed by scientists.
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
- Micro-organisms living on food: review (non-statutory) Study Guide
- The 5 Rs (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability) Study Guide
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