Look at that Bacteria Grow

(10/5): Mrs. Whitworth and Ms Swain's 6th grade Science classes discovered an alarming amount of bacteria on items we use on a daily basis. Needless to say they were definitely grossed out. Using a sterile cotton swab each group chose a different surface to test. They chose a variety of surfaces including fruit, classroom tables, boys bathroom (UGH), vending machine buttons, handrail on 5th grade hallway, inside of their cheek, outside of their cheek, and the list goes on. Once they had their specimen, they transferred to prepared agar petri dishes, lightly spreading them over the agar. Some put them in the window while others put them on a table under a lamp. The next day in class, we observed no growth in the ones under the light; however, those in the sunlight had much growth with several different bacteria colonies formed. Students discovered that the right temperature was needed for the bacteria to grow. They determined that the bacteria placed in the sun were much warmer than those under a regular lamp. After this experiment, many students ask for a clorox wipe quite regularly!