Growing Bacteria! Exploring the Monera Kingdom!

Last Thursday and Friday, our 5th grade students conducted a their first lab that studied a member of the Monera Kingdom:  Bacteria.  I read some background information on Bacteria, and spoke to the students about areas we would want to check for bacteria.  I also guided the students through a generated worksheet that asked them to develop a Hypothesis, Prediction, Procedure, Materials, Observation and Conclusion.

The procedure included labeling petri dishes of the sample each group of students were going to collect.  We were careful at attempting to maintain a sterile environment.  Students were instructed how to collect a sample using the cotton swabs and petri dishes that were provided by me.  The students were very eager to work in groups to collect the samples from the classroom and adjoining areas.  After the samples were collected, they were placed in an incubator, a plastic bowl with a light. Some of the samples included: rubber door mats, the area beneath a desk, the stage, the shower area in a locker room, and the inside of a student's mouth.

The pictured sample was from the door handle to the classroom.  Needless to say, I wiped down the door handle soon after.  On Monday, we further discussed our findings and implications.  The students did a great job!!  The students also realized anything that is commonly touched by students in the classroom (even the hand sanitizer dispenser) can have bacteria on it.  One of the things we took away from this lab is the necessity for cleanliness!!