Materials Needed

• A can of tomato soup
• Soup spoon
• 5 small bowls
• White bread
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands
• Magnifying glass
• Sticker labels
• Tongue depressors

Procedures

1. Label each bowl #1-5. Put four spoonfuls of soup in each bowl.
2. Sneeze on bowl #1.
3. Use a wet tongue depressor to scrape some dirt off the floor and place it in bowl #2.
4. Use a tongue depressor to collect some dirt from outside and put it in bowl #3.
5. Sprinkle some bread crumbs on bowl #4.
6. Scrape a wet tongue depressor across your arm and put it in bowl #5.
7. Cover each dish with plastic wrap and fasten with a rubber band. Set the bowls in a warm place for about 5 days.
8. Then observe each bowl with a magnifying glass and compare what you see.

What is Happening?

The "seeds" you planted in each bowl are mold spores and can be found almost everywhere. The spores are tiny plants which use the soup for food to grow and produce more plants. You’ve collected different kinds of mold, so the plants will be different shapes and colors.