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Science Project Ideas for an Experiment of Mold and Bread at Room Temperature

Learning about mold and how it grows helps students to better understand more complex lessons later on. For example, mold is vital to decomposition and used to create important antibiotics, and mold is also responsible for a variety of health complications and can rot food that is stored improperly. Growing mold for an experiment is easy, requiring only a few basic household items, and can open a child's eyes to the world of fungi.
  1. Mold Colonies

    • Place a slice of bread in a Tupperware container. Add three drops of water to the slice of bread and replace the lid on the container. Place the container in a safe location for two weeks. Check on the container every day, taking note of any mold that forms. Wear a paper paint mask when opening the container to prevent breathing in mold spores. Take photographs of or draw the mold colonies you observe. Try to identify how many colonies there are and what types of mold form.

    Ingredient Variable

    • Cut four different types of bread into pieces that are similar in shape and size. Possible bread types include white, wheat, sourdough, rye, whole grain and bagels. Place each piece of bread in a separate Tupperware container. Add three drops of water to each piece of bread and replace the lids on the container. Store the containers in a dark, room-temperature location for two weeks, checking on them once a day. Determine which types of bread grow mold more quickly or grow more varieties of mold and compare the ingredients of each type of bread.

    Light Variable

    • Place one slice of plain white bread in each of two Tupperware containers and add three drops of water to each piece of bread. Replace the lids on the containers. Place one container in a dark location, such as a cupboard or closet. Place the second container in a location that is well-lit but not in direct sunlight. Both locations should be at about the same temperature. Check on the containers every day for two weeks to determine how light affects mold growth.

    Chemical Variable

    • Place one slice of plain white bread in each of three Tupperware containers. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over the first slice of bread and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over the second slice; do not sprinkle anything on the third slice. Add three drops of water to each slice of bread and replace the lids on the containers. Place all three containers in one room-temperature location, so that each sample receives the same amount of light. Observe the samples daily for two weeks and determine whether the additional salt and sugar helped or hindered mold growth.

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