- Materials
- Three seal tight plastic bags.
- Water
- A piece of fruit (apple, banana, peach, or pear)
- A slice of bread (any variety)
- A slice of cheese (any variety)
- Magnifying glass
- Procedure
- Slice the piece of fruit into smaller pieces and place
them into one plastic bag. Sprinkle in a few drops of water.
Seal the bag tightly.
- Place the bread into a plastic bag. Sprinkle in a few
drops of water. Seal the bag tightly.
- Place the cheese into a plastic bag. Sprinkle in a few
drops of water. Seal the bag tightly.
- Record observations for each sample.
- Leave the bags alone at room temperature, but not in
direct sunlight, over the weekend.
- On Monday, examine the bags without opening them.
Record observations.
- Conclusions
- Each sealed bag represented a mini-ecosystem. Consider
how the energy flowed within the system. Consider where the
mold came from. What "fed" the mold?
- Extension Ideas
- Try a variety of food stuffs. What happens to citrus fruits?
- Try extending the activity by also keeping three sample
bags in the refrigerator over the weekend. Consider the
importance of temperature in an ecosystem.
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