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Year 6

Microorganisms that help us (non-statutory)

I can explain how micro-organisms can be used to improve our health.

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New
New
Year 6

Microorganisms that help us (non-statutory)

I can explain how micro-organisms can be used to improve our health.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Antibiotics are medicines that fight infections caused by micro-organisms called bacteria.
  2. Penicillin belongs to a group of medical drugs called antibiotics.
  3. Penicillin is made from a type of mould.
  4. In 1928, Scottish doctor, Alexander Fleming, discovered the effects of penicillin.
  5. The discovery of penicillin was one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 1900s.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that all moulds and fungi are harmful and no useful products can be extracted from them.

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.

Keywords

  • 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.

In Learning Cycle 3, children will be imagining they are Alexander Fleming and thinking about what he would say in an interview. Children could use apps that can make photographs appear to talk to make themselves look like Alexander Fleming and record themselves reading out their work.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these living things are types of micro-organism?
ants
Correct answer: bacteria
Correct answer: fungi
ticks
Q2.
Micro-organisms living in soil break down organic matter such as dead plants and animals. What are these types of micro-organisms called?
Correct answer: decomposers
composers
recyclers
bacteria
enrichers
Q3.
Where can bacteria be found?
only inside or on living things
never inside or on living things
only in air or water
never in air or water
Correct answer: almost everywhere
Q4.
Which statement about micro-organisms is correct?
All micro-organisms are harmful.
All micro-organisms are helpful.
Correct answer: Some micro-organisms are helpful and some are harmful.
Q5.
A is a piece of equipment that we can use to look at micro-organisms because they are too small to see with the naked eye.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: microscope, microscopes
Q6.
Mould is part of a group of micro-organisms called...
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: fungi, fungus
Q1 image 3 Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Penicillin was one of the greatest scientific achievements of the ...
An image in a quiz
1700s.
1800s.
Correct answer: 1900s.
2000s.
Q2.
Who first discovered penicillin in 1928?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Dr Alexander Fleming
Dr Howard Florey
Dr Ernst Chain
Dr Edward Jenner
Q3.
Penicillin is one of a group of medicines called which fight harmful bacteria.
Correct Answer: antibiotics, antibiotic
Q4.
From which type of micro-organism do we get penicillin?
bacteria
viruses
Correct answer: fungi
Q5.
Which of these could be treated with antibiotics?
An image in a quiz
measles caused by a virus
Correct answer: strep throat caused by bacteria
athletes foot caused by a fungus
a headache caused by lack of sleep
Q6.
Order the events that lead to the successful use of penicillin as an antibiotic chronologically.
1 - Dr Alexander Fleming returned from holiday to discover mould on his Petri dishes
2 - Dr Fleming noticed the mould was preventing the growth of bacteria.
3 - Other doctors began working on extracting penicillin from the mould for medicine
4 - The first human patient is cured of blood poisoning using penicillin.
Q1 "Cardboard carton, for Penicillin sodium salt vial and instruction leaflet (bottle)" is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Q2 Kallayanee Naloka/Shutterstock.com Q4 image 3 Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com