1) Label the bottom of your plate with your initials, date and location of sample. Write these items around the perimeter of the plate.

2) You will be assigned two locations to collect air samples from. At each location, open the plate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3) Tape the lid of your plate. Place jelly side up in the incubator. Allow 24-72 hours for colonies to form

1) Label the bottom of your plate with your initials, date and location of sample.

2) Divide your plate into quadrants by labeling the bottom with your sharpie.

3) One side of the plate will be samples collected from you and the other side will be your partners. Use one quadrant to gently press your right thumb gently onto the agar surface. Use the other quadrant to gently press your big toe gently onto the agar surface.

4) Tape the lid of your plate. Place jelly side up in the incubator. Allow 24-72 hours for colonies to form.

1) Label the bottom of your plate with your initials, date and location of sample.

2) Chose 1 of the selections from below for your sample.

Open your plate and brush or comb your hair directly over the exposed plate for 30 seconds.

Moisten a sterile swab in the tube of sterile water. Express most of the excess water out of it by pressing the swab against the inside wall of the tube. Swab the outer regions of your ear or nose. Opening your plate like a clamshell; never placing the lid on the table. Gently move the cotton swab back and forth across your plate in a zigzag like fashion.

3) Tape the lid of your plate. Place jelly side up in the incubator. Allow 24-72 hours for colonies to form.

1) Label the bottom of your plate with your initials, date and location of sample.

2) Chose 1 of the selections from below for your sample.

Swab the entire surface of the dollar bill. Opening your plate like a clamshell; never placing the lid on the table. Gently move the cotton swab back and forth across your plate in a zigzag like fashion.

Place 5 to 6 coins on the agar surface. Remove the coins after 30 minutes.

3) Tape the lid of your plate. Place jelly side up in the incubator. Allow 24-72 hours for colonies to form.

glass graduated cylinder electronic scale incubator

dehydrated nutrient agar weighing boats autoclave (pressure-cooker)

Distilled water glass bottles microwave

Bacterial grade agar powder sterile petri dishes thermometer

1) Weigh the measuring boat. Then hit tare. ( This will deduct the weight of the boat from your final weight of powder automatically).

2) Carefully weigh out 0.8 grams of nutrient agar powder into your boat using your scoopula.

3) Measure out 100 mL of distilled water using your graduated cylinder.

4) Dissolve the powder completely in the water

5) Transfer measured distilled water into a large glass bottle. Slowly transfer the two powders into the distilled water.

6) Screw on the cap half way. Do not screw the cap on tightly.

7) Autoclave for 20-25 minutes at 121 C (250 F).

8) Cool to 50 C.

9) Swirl and pour a thin layer into the bottom of your petri-dish (thickest lid on the bottom). If bubbles do appear, pipette them out immediately.

10) Allow plates to sit for 25-30 minutes. This will allow time for the agar to solidify.

11) Invert plates jelly side up. Place them in a bag and tie off. Label and date the bag. Put in the fridge overnight.

2 L bottle bucket vitamins saran wrap

razor blade egg leaves rubber bands

fresh soil sample chalk straw sunlight

old newspaper calcium sulfate paper ruler

pond water calcium carbonate eco-foam sharpie

1) Decide with your partner where you would like to collect your soil and water. Remember the smellier the better.

(Shallow pond bottoms, mudflats, shallow river beds, etc.)

2) Next decide what ingredients you would need to sustain microbial life in your bottle. 1) carbohydrate source, 2) calcium source, 3) sulfur source, and protein source. Use some of the items listed above to help you brain storm.

3) Combine soil and water sample. Add just enough water to make it the consistency of a heavy cream. Remove any rocks, sticks, or trash. Make sure your mixture is smooth.

4) Add your carbohydrate source, calcium source, sulfur source and protein source to your mixture. Mix well.

5) Cut off the top of your two-liter bottle, to use as a funnel. Refer to the diagram below.

6) Pour a few centimeters of the soil mix through the funnel into the base of the bottle.

7) Covering the top of the bottle with one hand, tap the base of the bottle firmly on the table to allow the mixture to settle. This is important to remove trapped oxygen.

8) Add another few centimeter of the soil mix through the funnel. Repeat step 7. Continue adding your soil mix a few centimeters at a time until your bottle is about 90% full or 5 cm away from the top.

9) Add water to a depth of 2 cm below the top. Let it settle for 30 minutes. If there is more than 2 cm of water after 30 minutes, pour off the excess. If there is less than 2 cm, add water to attain the depth.

10) Cover your bottle with several layers of saran wrap. Attach a rubber band around it to secure it. You want it to be airtight.

11) Place your bottle under a light source, but do not allow it to heat up. (no direct sunlight

12) Over the next 4-6 weeks, check your bottle periodically to maintain the 2-cm water depth and record observations.

Yogurt is produced by the fermentation of milk. Two of the bacteria found in yogurt are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactococcus thermophilus. These are lactose-fermenting bacteria that produce lactic acid from the lactose in milk. The lactic acid they produce gives yogurt its sour taste. These bacteria are anaerobes; they grow best in the absence of oxygen. They are also thermophiles; they grow best at fairly high temperatures, about 40-42 C.

Condensed milk

Distilled water

Active cultured plain yogurt

Mason jars

Procedure

1) Open two cans of condensed milk and pour out half of each.

2) Fill the remainder of each can totally with water that is distilled.

3) To one of the cans add a dropper of active cultured plain yogurt. This is your experimental can. Do not do anything to the second can. This is your control can.

4) Lightly cover both cans and place them in a warm place.

5) Observe and describe what is happening in both cans.

6) After two to three days, you will be able to eat your yogurt.