Science Overview Welcoming the World: Years 5 and 6

Scientists from around the World - what can we learn from observing micro-organisms, like

the scientist Louis Pasteur did?

On Your

Marks...

Hook: Set up a ‘grime’ scene of evidence of micro-organisms growing on bread, on other food waste, pictures of dirty hands or rotten teeth. Observe evidence and consider what it all has in common. Demonstrate how quickly bacteria spread by pretending to sneeze into your hands (use green hair gel) and then go around the class shaking hands with the pupils. Purpose: Understand importance of Pasteur in science of micro-biology. Use of careful observation of micro-organisms as living things and what we can learn from this. Olympic Values: respect and equality

Get Set...

Science Objectives: Sc1 1: understand the importance of making observations & measurements when trying to answer a question 2b: use firsthand experience & simple information sources to answer questions 2i: compare what happened with what was expected Numeracy objectives: Ma4 1f: decide how best to organise & present findings 2f: draw conclusions from data Speaking and Listening Objectives: En1 1: to speak with confidence in a range of contexts 3e: take up & sustain different roles, adapting them to suit the situation Resources: Information of Louis Pasteur (‘Famous scientists and inventors’ J. Davis Question Publishing) and other sources. Green hair gel. Mouldy food (H&S: needs to be in air tight sea-through containers) and pictures for grime scene. Information on vaccines and packaging from medicines.

Go!

• Investigate how to slow down the growth of micro-organisms on food. How is this both a harmful and helpful process. Plan and conduct fair tests or other (exemplified)

• Learn about the life of Louis Pasteur and how his interest in science developed. How did he prove yeast was living and how did he use this finding to transform the wine industry in France at that time?

• Ask questions about the properties of yeast and investigate to prove for yourself that yeast is alive. What other ‘helpful’ micro-organisms are they and how are they used?

• Use ‘virtual experiments’ from Lgfl to explore ideal conditions for yeast growth for use in bread making. Draw conclusions about ideal conditions for growth of yeast.

• Explore how Pasteur’s investigations led to the discovery of pasteurisation and the implications of this on how we live today.

• Research how foods are preserved in a variety of other ways and conduct simple observations where possible e.g. consider the preservative qualities of salt and how this would have been widely used in the past; conduct simple observations on different food stuffs.

• Consider Pasteur’s other major influences on the world of science – e.g. vaccination. • Conduct visit to ‘Centre of the Cell’ or other research facility and learn about the

methods scientists employ today to study disease. How do they compare and contrast to the methods Pasteur used in France in the 1800s?

• Read articles from the ‘Daily Soapbox’ (www.carex.co.uk) and consider what the schools featured should do to prevent further problems. Write letter or report orally or in writing to the featured schools to share findings and advice.

• Consider the issue of travel and how you may not have local immunity to disease in the area you travel to – how might this affect the athletes coming to Britain in 2012?

Finish Line

Present findings from variety of observations and research on how the work of Pasteur has influenced science and medicine. Report to schools from featured articles (above) on how to prevent further spread of harmful micro—organisms. Invent own NHS campaign leaflet on an aspect of controlling the spread of disease or a leaflet to give to foreign athletes when they arrive in Britain for the Olympics to help them stay healthy.

Welcoming the World: Years 5 and 6

Science Example Lesson

On Your

Marks...

Hook: Pre-prepare a packed lunch box of left over’s which have been left for a couple of weeks for mouldy growth to start to appear. Is all the food going mouldy at the same rate? Explore observations and possible explanations for differences between different foods. H&S: have in sealed plastic bag.

Olympic Values: Respect & equality

Learning Intentions: To be able to plan an investigation about how to slow down the process of food decay

Learning Outcomes: To enable pupils to plan a clear investigation.

Key Questions: What type of investigation will you conduct and why? What will you do? Will you need to make repeated observations or measurements? What factor will you change and what will you measure or observe? How will you collect data?

Language Structures: Explanation: (for use in plenary) To begin with . . . The reasons for . . . As a result of . . . For example . . . Because of . . . . we decided to . . .

Get Set...

Key Vocabulary: Fait test – variables / factors Plan predict Equipment Evidence records observations Repeated measurements

Resources: Mouldy packed lunch Post-it notes Planning frames e.g. fair test planning frame

Introduction Previous learning: a basic understanding of micro-organisms and the part they play in decay of food. Play a card sort game, where pupils are asked to consider different types of investigation (fair test / pattern seeking / classification etc) and to match a range of different questions to how they would find the answers to them * (refs) What questions could we ask about the growth of mould on the observed foods? Groups to generate possible questions on post-it notes and other groups to sort according to how we would answer those questions. Main Activity Taking a question that we could answer using a method we can do in the classroom; generate a list of the decisions pupils will need to make in their plan e.g. consider use of repeated measurements / how many tests to do and why. Create bank of sub-titles for sections of plan. Groups to assign roles relevant to task (recorder / reporter / motivator etc) and plan their investigation, from creating a scientific question to deciding how to collect evidence.

Go!

Plenary: In the style of envoys, the reporter to take their groups plan to another group and explain what they will do and how they will collect evidence. Peer feedback in form of 2 stars and a wish (or other) so the groups are clear about an aspect of their plan they might need to improve before they begin.

Finish Line

• End Product for lesson: A group plan for their investigation into slowing down the growth of mould on food.

• Next Steps: Conduct the investigations.