Lesson video

Hello, welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Mrs. Mehrin and I'm so excited to learn all about micro-organisms and how they are living things.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit, why we group and classify living things.

Your learning outcome today is, I can describe what micro-organisms are and know that they are living things.

Now, I know that learning can be a little bit challenging sometimes, but that's okay because that just means that we are going to work really hard together and learn lots of fabulous new things.

Let's begin with our keywords for today.

Now, I will be referring to these keywords throughout today's lesson, so you don't need to write them down.

However, if you do feel that it helps you to write them down, you can pause the video here and do that now.

Fantastic, well done.

And here are the definitions for those keywords.

Again, I am going to be referring to these throughout today's video.

However, if you do need to pause the video and you'd like to write them down, you can do that now.

Fabulous, well done.

So, today's lesson is split into two parts.

Let's begin with the first part, micro-organisms. Now, which of the following are living things? So if you take a look at those pictures, and I want you to think about which of those are living things.

Now, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fabulous, well done.

So, now I want you to think about how you know which of these are living things and which are not.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So, the moss, the spider, and the fish are all living things.

And we know this because all living things have these certain characteristics.

Now they are that they can move, they can sense the world around them, they can grow, they can reproduce, and they need nutrition.

So all of those items, all of those, the moss, the spider, and the fish are all living things because they have these characteristics.

Now, based on that, which of these are living things? Is it A ant, B bonfire, C grass, or D tractor? So I'd like you to have a really good think about that.

Think about the characteristics that we've just discussed as well.

Now, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer.

If you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So the ant, A and C, grass, those are living things.

Now we have Aisha, Laura, and Lucas, and they are talking about the smallest organism that they know.

So Aisha says, "I think seeds are the smallest living thing there is." Because she knows that poppy seeds are tiny.

Lucas says, "I think the smallest organism on Earth must be an insect like a flea, because you can hardly see fleas." And Laura says, "You can't see germs either.

So I think germs are the smallest organisms." Now, what do you think? Who do you think is correct? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So, micro-organisms are the smallest living things on Earth.

And here, we have a picture of microbes under a microscope.

The prefix micro means extremely small.

So a micro-organism is an extremely small living thing.

And micro-organisms can also be called microbes.

Sometimes, micro-organisms are called germs or bugs, usually when we're talking about making us ill.

However, not all micro-organisms are harmful.

Some can be very useful.

So micro-organisms can be used for making food and medicine, water treatment, maintaining soil health and decomposing waste as well.

Now, which of these words can also be used to describe micro-organisms? Was it A microbes, B dirt, C germs, or D dust? So I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is A and C, microbes and germs. Now, micro-organisms are too small for us to see with the naked eye.

So that's without using, for example, a microscope or a magnifying glass.

And they are classified separately from plants and animals because they do not share all of the characteristics of plants or animals, and they have a much simpler structure than these other types of living things.

So here we have micro-organisms under a microscope.

Now, let's do a quick check of your learning.

And it says, decide whether each of these statements is true, always, sometimes, or never.

So A, living things can walk, B, living things can move, C, we can see living things using just our eyes, or D, micro-organisms are very small plants.

So decide whether or not each of these statements is always, sometimes, or never true.

Off you go, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here and have a go at that.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So, living things can walk sometimes.

Living things can always move.

We can sometimes see living things using just our eyes.

And micro-organisms are very small plants, that's never.

Now, there are lots of different types of micro-organisms. Bacteria, fungi and viruses are all types of micro-organism.

So we have bacteria, fungi, and a virus here.

Now have you heard of any of these types of micro-organisms before? I'll give you five seconds to have a think and then we will carry on with our lesson.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So let's do a quick check of your learning so far.

Which of these living things are micro-organisms? Is it A, an ant, B, E.

coli bacteria, C, measles virus, or D, a mouse.

So, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

It would be B and C, those are micro-organisms. You can't see them with the naked eye, but the ant and the mouse, you can.

Now, here is your first task.

It says these children are talking about micro-organisms. So Andeep says, "I don't think micro-organisms are living things because they are too small and they don't have eyes or a brain." Izzy says, "I think micro-organisms are living things because they are very, very tiny animals." Now what do you think? I want you to explain whether you agree or disagree with each of the children and why that is.

So I'd like you to pause the video here and I'd like you to have a go at that activity.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

Now let's have a look.

So, Andeep is not correct because micro-organisms are living things and not all living things have eyes in a brain.

For example, plants.

Izzy is correct about micro-organisms being living things, but she's not right about them being animals.

They are part of a completely different group to animals.

They cannot be classified as animals because they don't have the same characteristics as animals and they have a much simpler structure.

So that takes us on to part two of our learning today, which is finding micro-organisms. Now, these children are talking about micro-organisms. Sam says, "I think micro-organisms only live in dirty places." Alex says, "I think micro-organisms only live on other living things." And Jacob says, "I think they are everywhere." What do you think? Who do you agree with? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So, micro-organisms are so small that we cannot see them using just our eyes.

And because of this, we often don't know what micro-organisms are around us.

Now we can see micro-organisms using a microscope, and this is a piece of equipment that magnifies very tiny objects, so they look much bigger than they really are.

Now, which piece of equipment could we use to observe micro-organisms? Can you remember? Was it A, binoculars B, magnifying glass, C, microscope, or D, telescope? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fabulous, well done.

The answer is C, a microscope.

Now, because they are so small, micro-organisms weren't discovered until the 17th century, and the first person to see them was a Dutch scientist called Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

And in 1674, he used a microscope he had built himself to observe microbes in a drop of water.

And we have a picture here of micro-organisms viewed through a microscope.

Now, when he first discovered micro-organisms, Leeuwenhoek called them animalcules.

Now we have stronger microscopes for observing micro-organisms and a better understanding of them as well.

So we know they are not animals, but they're a different type of living thing.

Now, let's have a look at these pictures.

It says, are these living things plants, animals, or micro-organisms? So we've got the influenza virus, we've got B, the Staphylococcus bacteria, C, the castor bean tick, and D, the pincushion moss.

So, are these living things, plants, animals, or micro-organisms? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fabulous, well done.

The answer is A, the influenza virus is a micro-organism.

B is a micro-organism, C is an animal, and D is a plant.

So micro-organisms can be found almost everywhere on Earth.

They live in water, air, soil, and sand.

So here we have different types of microbes, which can be found in different habitats.

We've got busy city centre, the Arctic Ocean, and coastal village.

Now, where might micro-organisms be found here? So we've got a picture of the beach and a little picnic spread.

So where might micro-organisms be found here? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video here.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

So micro-organisms could be found in the sea, the sand, the food, the drink, and even the picnic blanket and the basket.

Now, micro-organisms also live in and on other living things, including humans.

And billions of micro-organisms live on our skin and inside our bodies.

And these micro-organisms that usually don't make us unwell.

Now, some of the micro-organisms living inside our bodies are very helpful.

There are lots of different types of bacteria living in our intestines and they can be helpful in digesting food and killing harmful micro-organisms. And there are over 700 types of micro-organisms which live in our mouths.

And some of these microbes are helpful and some aren't.

Now, plaque is created by a type of bacteria as it breaks down sugar in the foods that we eat.

And this is why it's so important to brush our teeth regularly to remove plaque.

So we should be brushing our teeth at least two times a day, once in the morning and then once before bed.

Now, let's do a quick true or false.

There are lots of micro-organisms in my classroom right now.

Is that true or false? I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, but if you need longer, you can pause the video and come back once you are ready.

Off you go.

Fabulous, well done.

The answer is true.

Now, is that because A, micro-organisms live almost everywhere, including inside people or B, micro-organisms can be found in dirty places like the bottom of my shoes and in the bin.

Again, I'll give you five seconds to think about your answer, and if you need to, you can pause the video here and then come back once you are ready.

Off you go.

Fantastic, well done.

The answer is A, micro-organisms live almost everywhere, including inside people.

Now, here is your second task and it says, visit an indoor and an outdoor space or look at the photographs.

And I'd like you to list as many places as possible that you think micro-organisms that could be living.

So there are two pictures here, two photographs, and if you want to, you can use this, but it might be quite nice for you to get up from where you are sat and go outside or even to another room and have a look and write down as many places as possible that you think micro-organisms might be living.

Okay, so I'd like you to pause the video now and have a go at that activity.

Come back once you are done.

Off you go.

Fabulous, well done.

So, Jun has done this activity and he says, "In my classroom, I think microbes are living inside my water bottle, in the plants on the shelf, in the carpet, and in the air.

Also, inside all the people!" So that's a lot of places where Jun has identified that microbes or micro-organisms could be.

Now, Sophia also did the same activity, but she went outside to the playground and she said, "I went to the playground and I think micro-organisms could be found on the ground, in the trees, and in the bodies of insects and birds I saw.

They could also be found on the swings and other equipment." So again, Sofia has identified many different places on the playground where she thinks micro-organisms could be found.

Fantastic.

Now, did you find as many places when you were doing the activity? Have a look at what you have done and then have a look at what Jun and Sofia have written.

Is similar or is it different? Now, we are onto the summary of our learning today, and it says micro-organisms are tiny living things that we cannot see with just our eyes.

We can use a microscope to see them.

Sometimes, micro-organisms are called microbes or germs and micro-organisms are found everywhere, including in soil, air, water, and in other living things, including humans.

Now, you have worked so, so well.

I am so proud of you.

There's been a lot of new vocabulary and quite difficult words sometimes for us to learn, but you have done a brilliant job and I'm so proud of you.

Well done.