Aspire to Make Yeast Respire

Downloadable (1 PDF - 6 pages) 

Ideal for grades 3-5, this experiment allows students to explore a process which is performed by all life, both animals and plants... respiration! Through experimentation with yeast, students will see that different types of food enable the yeast to respire, but that some foods are better at promoting respiration than others.

After completing this experiment, students will:

• Understand that respiration is the reaction that occurs between yeast (fungi) and sugar
• Be able to describe how plants get energy from the sun

Resources included:

• Lesson plan
• Student experiment worksheet

Additional resources required:

• Small plant, branch, leaf or flower
• Pop bottles (16 oz/500 mL) – five identical bottles per group
• Yeast packets – five per group
• Yeast food e.g. white sugar, honey, maple syrup, flour – 1 teaspoon of each per group
• Warm water
• Ruler – one per group