I hypothesize that If certain areas of my school are less clean or are touched more often, then those areas will grow more bacteria on the petri dishes. This is because germs build up more quickly in dirty frequently touched places than in cleaner areas.

What Is Bacteria? Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that can only be seen using a microscope. Bacteria are found in nearly every environment on Earth, including air, water, soil, food, and inside the human body. Many bacteria are beneficial and are part of the human body where they help with digestion, produce vitamins, and protect the body from harmful microbes. Bacteria are also used in biotechnology and food production, such as fermentation to make yogurt and cheese. However, some bacteria are pathogenic, meaning they can cause diseases. Bacteria spread through direct contact, respiratory droplets, contaminated surfaces , and poor hygiene practices.

Types of bacteria found in schools:

Streptococcus is a group of bacteria that often appear in chains of round-shaped cells (cocci). In school environments, Streptococcus can survive on shared surfaces such as desks, door handles, pencils, and electronic devices. It spreads mainly through airborne respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Some species, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, cause illnesses like strep throat and scarlet fever. These infections affect the respiratory system and may cause symptoms such as sore throat, fever, inflamed tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and difficulty swallowing. Crowded spaces like classrooms increase the rate of bacteria found.

Staphylococcus bacteria are common and many people carry them on their skin or in their nose without getting sick. Problems happen when staph enters the body through a cut, scrape, or broken skin. In school settings, staph can spread through close contact, shared sports equipment, door handles , or unclean surfaces. Some staph infections are mild and only affect the skin, but others can become more serious if not treated. The bad thing is that some staphylococcus bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat. This is why it is important to clean wounds, avoid sharing personal items, and wash hands regularly to prevent staphylococcus infections.

Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, is a type of bacteria that naturally lives in the intestines of humans and animals, where most types help with digestion and keeping the gut healthy. However, some types of E. coli are harmful and can cause serious foodborne illness. These harmful bacteria are often spread through contaminated food or water, especially undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk, and unwashed fruits and vegetables. When a person becomes infected, symptoms may include stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Certain types of E. coli can cause a serious condition that damages the kidneys, especially in children. In school environments, E. coli can spread through poor hand hygiene, especially after using the bathroom. Washing hands properly and keeping food areas clean are important ways to prevent E. coli infections.

Enterococcus is a group of bacteria that normally lives in the human digestive tract and is part of the body’s normal microbiota. Under certain conditions, Enterococcus can become harmful if it moves to other parts of the body, such as the urinary tract, bloodstream, or open wounds. This can lead to infections including urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and wound infections. Some strains of Enterococcus have developed resistance to antibiotics, which makes these infections harder to treat and potentially more serious. In school environments, Enterococcus is mostly found in school washrooms so always washing hands can keep us safe from Entrococcus.

Independent variable: Amount of bacteria in spots of the school Dependent variable: The bacteria shown in the agar plates Controlled variable:Size of agar plates,if the q-tip is only touching the designated spot.

1:choose place to test bacteria levels. 2:Swipe areas with test swab. 3:Swipe the test swab on the agar plates. 4:Let the agar plates in a dark place and warm place like the heat or an incubator. 5.Check every day to see the bacteria grow.

I observed in my project that The agar plates only started showing bacteria after 48 hours, so the first few days nothing was showing. Another thing is that when the agar plates were stored facing upward, the bacteria growth was not shown clearly. Condensation formed on the lid and dripped onto the agar, which caused the bacteria to spread and mix together. This made the bacteria harder to see and count. After the plates were stored upside down, the bacteria appeared more clearly.

The bathroom surface showed the most bacterial growth. This was expected because bathrooms are high-traffic areas and not everyone washes their hands properly, allowing bacteria to spread easily. The student desk had the second highest amount. Desks are used every day and the inside is cleaned less often, which allows bacteria to build up. The door handle ranked third since many students and teachers touch it throughout the day, making it a common place for bacteria transfer. The hallway walls had less bacteria than expected. Although students touch or lean on them, they may be cleaned more often or not touched as directly as smaller surfaces. The smart board had the least bacteria, likely because it is cleaned regularly and touched by fewer people. Overall, surfaces that are touched often and cleaned less tend to have more bacteria.

Based on my experiment, the areas that were touched and used the most showed the most bacteria on the agar plates. Areas that are cleaned often and touched less showed less bacteria. This is important because it reminds us to wash our hands regularly and keep our environment clean to stay safe at school. This is not only important at school, but in everyday life too, because bacteria like Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E. coli, and Enterococcus can cause serious infections that can harm us.

I learnt from the bacteria shown to always wash my hands because bacteria gets transferred easily and can cause major problems. I also learnt to clean a little more because it makes an impact on my health. With these things I hope to stay healthy and stay away from bacteria.

My project went smoothly but one ting that happened is that the agar split apart because there was a lot of bacteria and it split open and caused dehydration and sometimes when the temperatures where high I could not keep the heat on so the agar plates would sometimes not get any heat in the day.

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strep-throat/symptoms-causes/syc-20350338 2.https://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3Aproject=medlineplus&v%3Asources=medlineplus-bundle&query=bacterial&_gl=1*11ptjdp*_ga*Mjg4MzQzMTk0LjE3NzE3MDQ5OTM.*_ga_7147EPK006*czE3NzE3MDQ5OTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzE3MDQ5OTMkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_P1FPTH9PL4*czE3NzE3MDQ5OTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzE3MDQ5OTMkajYwJGwwJGgw 3.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nF7fN0WuUs

I would like to acknowledge my mom for supporting me and helping me find ideas for the science fair. She was always there when I needed help and never gave up on me. I would also like to acknowledge my brother using his science knowledge and helping me with my experiment. He and my science teacher Mr.Adham helped me with the experiment and incubator. I acknowledge anyone who supported me and helped me.