Sir Alexander Fleming Unit Study Helps with Printables

Sir Alexander Fleming is the famous scientist credited with discovering penicillin.  While many microbiologists before Fleming believed certain infections could be treated with microorganisms, no one was able to move the idea along until Fleming.

There were a couple of starts and stops with Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, but it finally was mass produced in 1941.  Fleming’s discovery saved thousands of lives during World War II.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Sir Howard Florey, each of who greatly influenced our modern lives with their research of penicillin.

How did Alexander Fleming earn the title of ‘Sir’?

Alexander Fleming was knighted as a knight bachelor by King George VI in 1944.

A knight bachelor is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted.  This level of rank is typically extended as an award for public service, which Fleming received for his contributions to medicine.

Resources Used to Study About Sir Alexander Fleming

First, here are a few books we checked out from our library on the life of Alexander Fleming.  (There are my affiliate links which helps support free printables and worksheets here at Mama’s.  See my disclosure policy for more details.)
 

 

Encyclopedia Britannica has a long, informative article about Fleming and his life.  For younger learners, this article is best read by mom and the information conveyed.  Older students could read independently.

ABPI: Resources for Schools has a very kid-friendly article on Fleming’s haphazard discovery of penicillin.

Practice making your own mold with this science experiment from Education.com!

This is an excellent video of an experiment that reenacts Fleming’s bread mold killing bacteria on a petri dish.  (Mama is not responsible for ads and content on You Tube.  While I’ve personally viewed this video and deem it appropriate for my own children, viewer discretion is advised.)
 

Free Worksheets to Use When Studying Sir Alexander Fleming

And I wouldn’t have a Unit Study post without providing a few free worksheets!

This is a free 3-page printable packet, in which you’ll find:

• Alexander Fleming Word Search
• ‘What Would You Like to Discover’ Writing Activity
• Alexander Fleming: Fill-in-the-Blank

Click the Image Below to Download Your Worksheets

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This post is part of iHomeschool Network’s Birthday Lessons in August.  Hop on over to iHomeschool Network for more unit study help and resources!

All photos of Alexander Fleming in this post are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Lauren Hill

Lauren Hill is a Christian mom to 5, ages 19 to 7. She homeschools her children in the classical education tradition and is currently in her 15th year of homeschool. She creates engaging worksheets and hands-on printable activities for Preschool and Elementary age children to supplement their daily studies.

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