Mold Science Fair Project

Will milk grow mold the fastest?

Growing mold on types of foods and then analyzing its type and speed of growth is a popular science fair project for elementary school students. Mold, a type of fungi, grows on organic substances such as fruit and dairy products as they spoil. Warmth and moisture contribute to mold reproduction. Creating conditions conducive to mold growth in a controlled environment, then predicting which type of food will grow mold the fastest, teaches children about decomposition and plant life in addition to observational and analytic skills.

Things You'll Need

• Banana
• Slice of bread
• Slice of cheese
• Glass of milk
• Cabinet or tabletop
• notebook
• Digital camera (optional)
• Latex gloves

Instructions

1. Set up the experiment. Place the banana, cheese, bread and glass of milk in the cabinet or on a tabletop that is warm and not too dry.

2. Form your hypothesis. Which food will grow mold fastest? Why? What type of mold will you grow?

3. Observe the four objects daily for signs of mold growth. Write down your discoveries in a notebook and date each observation.

4. Conclude the experiment at the end of a one-week period. By that time, you should not only have seen mold grow on the banana, cheese, bread and milk at different speeds, but you should also have noted the color and appearance of the molds on each type of food.

5. Write a report explaining your conclusions. Answer the following questions: Which food grew mold fastest? When did the mold appear? What did it look like? Why did that food get moldy first? What causes mold to grow?

Tips & Warnings

• Take pictures of the four foods at the end of the experiment to document your observations. Include the photos with your report.

• Wear latex gloves when handling any moldy food.

References

• Free Science Fair Project: Mold Experiment