Little Lab Coats
Bread Mold Terrarium Reference Card
Grade 5
Mold is a fungus and a decomposer. By comparing growth conditions, students can figure out what helps mold grow fastest and back up that idea with evidence.
Key vocabulary
fungus
decomposer
spores
variable
control
evidence
What to notice
- Mold does not always appear right away.
- Moisture often changes growth speed dramatically.
- Different colors or textures can appear over time.
- Sealed bags allow observation without spreading spores.
Good test variables
- dry bread vs damp bread
- light vs dark location
- warm room vs cooler spot
- white bread vs whole wheat
Strong student thinking
- Identify what changed and what stayed the same.
- Record the day mold first appeared.
- Compare speed, amount, and visible spread.
- Use observations to support a claim.
Talk-about prompts
- Which setup acted as your control?
- What evidence shows one condition helped mold more?
- Why is mold an ecosystem helper, not just a problem?
- How could you redesign the test to make it stronger?
Family note: This lesson gets much stronger when kids do more than say “the mold grew.” Push them to compare which setup changed first, how it changed, and why that evidence supports their answer.