Growing Germs

We used Petri dishes to grow germs! Using agar filled dishes to grow strands of bacteria, yeasts, and mold is a great way to visually understand germ growth. Each student made a list of the areas around the house they wanted to swab. The kitchen and the bathroom usually grow the best colonies of bacteria.

[ideas: kitchen sink, toilet, tongue, light switch, cell phone, keyboards, remote]

See below for a free worksheet to incorporate the scientific method into the activity. Here is a summary:

1. Choose/record the areas to swab for the Petri dishes

2. Swab the area and label each dish

3. Hypothesis: form predictions about the growth (see the worksheet below)

4. Record results over the next month

5. Conclusion: (see the worksheet below)

FREE PRINTABLE WORKBOOK