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TEACHER’S G UIDE
students re - examine the facts/beliefs they put on their “ E ve rything We
Think We Know About...” list. It might also be helpful to review the list by
m a rking each entry with a “+” or “-” to show which facts we re correct and
which were incorrect.
Thought provoking discussions provide a good way to assess the ove rall
depth of student understanding. The following are some suggested discussion topics.
• Discuss how our planet would be affected by the extinction of eve ry
species of fungi.
• Brainstorm a list of all the ways that fungi influence our world.
Follow-up Activities
• E n c o u rage students to design an ex p e riment for growing bread mold.
Students can identify va ri ables to be controlled (tempera t u re , sunlight,
dampness, f resh vs. old bread, cove red vs. u n c ove red…) in their ex p e riments.What conditions are the best for growing bread mold?
• Students can conduct an ex p e riment to test the effects of yeast on the
decomposition of fo o d . Students should cut two slices of a banana and
place them in re-sealable plastic bags. Pour one half of a teaspoon of yeast
on one of the slices. Close both bags, after marking the bag including
yeast with a “y.” Observe both bags for a week. W h i ch piece of banana
shows more signs of decomposition? Why?
• H ave students re s e a rch the biology and cultivation of edible fungi, from
truffles to common mu s h ro o m s . Direct them to discover what pro fe ssional mushroom hunters and farmers do and have them attempt to grow
common types of edible mu s h rooms in school (note: keep cultiva t i o n
areas cove red to prevent spores from spreading beyond the ex p e ri m e n t
site).
• Students can create spore prints using mu s h rooms by cutting off the
stalk of the mushroom.Then the cap of the mu s h room should be placed
on a sheet of paper. To protect the pri n t , students can cover the fungus
and paper with an upside-down bowl. L e ave the fungus untouched
ove rn i g h t . In the morn i n g , students can re m ove the bowl and fungus.To
maintain the image , the paper can be sprayed with hair spray. Students
can also use different types of mushrooms and compare the spore prints.
• H ave students collect mu s h room and bread recipes from home and the
Internet to publish in a “ Food Fe s t i val With Fungi” cookbook. P re p a re
some of the recipes in class to share.
TEACHER’S GUI DE
Suggested Internet Resources
Periodically, Internet Resources are updated on our web site at
www.LibraryVideo.com
• www.herb.lsa.umich.edu/kidpage/factindx.htm
This “Fun Facts About Fungi” page at the University of Michigan introduces
students to the kingdom of fungi through games, puzzles and experiments.
• www.microbe.org/
The American Society for Microbiology hosts “Stalking the Mysterious
Microbe,” a site for elementary students interested in learning more about
microorganisms including fungi.
• commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/
The “Microbe Zoo” is an excellent interactive site for middle-schoolers,
developed with the input of scientists from Michigan State University.
Teacher resources and activities about fungi are included.
• mgd.nacse.org/hyperSQL/lichenland
“Fun With Lichens” is a site for kids developed at Oregon State University to
illustrate the amazing relationships that fungi have developed with algae.
• Gentle,Victor. Carnivorous Mushrooms: Lassoing Their Prey?
Gareth Stevens, Milwaukee,WI; 1996.
• Lloyd,Amy. Truffle Trouble: The Case of the Fungus Among Us.
McGraw Hill, New York, NY; 1998.
• Pascoe, Elaine. Slime Molds and Fungi. Blackbirch Press,
Woodbridge, CT; 1999.
TEACHER’S GUIDE CONSULTANT
Conrad M. Follmer
25 years as a K–5 Science & Math Coordinator for a Pennsylvania public
school system, currently an independent consultant to elementary schools.
TITLES
• BACTERIA
• FUNGI
7/05
• PROTISTS
• VIRUSES
800-843-3620
Teacher’s Guide and Program Copyright 2000 by Schlessinger Media,
a division of Library Video Company
P.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620
Executive Producers: Andrew Schlessinger & Tracy Mitchell
Programs produced and directed by Stone House Productions, LLC
All rights reserved
Fungi
Grades 5–8
S
Suggested Print Resources
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
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TEACHER’S G UIDE
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V6267
tudents in grade 5–8 classrooms possess a wide range of
b a ck ground know l e d ge . Student response to this video
program is sure to be va ried, so the teachers at these grades
need all the help they can get! This guide has been designed
to help the 5–8 science teacher by providing a brief synopsis of the pro gra m , p rev i ewing and fo l l ow-up questions,
activities, vo c ab u l a ry and additional resources.
Before Viewing: E x t e n s i ve re s e a rch tells how important
it is for the teacher to discover what the students know —
or think they know — about a topic, befo re actually starting a new unit.Therefo re , after prompting discussion with
the pre - v i ewing questions, lead your class to create an
“Everything We Think We Know About…” list.You may also
wish to preview key vo c abulary wo rd s , and have students
raise additional questions they hope will be answered.
After Viewing: Have your students share video excerpts
that fascinated or surprised them, then challenge your students to prove or disprove the accuracy of the facts they
put on their “ E ve rything We Think We Know About…” list.
Discuss what else they learned and use the fo l l ow-up questions and activities to inspire further discussion. E n c o u rage
students to re s e a rch the topic further with the Internet and
reading re s o u rces provided.
Program Summary
Vocabulary
Humans are giants in a world filled with small wonders that includes simple
organisms like fungi. Some types of fungi are microscopic and inhabit a space
smaller than the abdomen of an ant, while other species found undergro u n d
can grow larger than a soccer field! Within the past few decades, scientists
h ave decided that, even though fungi have cell walls like plants, t h ey are not
plants because they do not have roots, l e ave s , stems or ch l o ro p hy l l .They are
not animals either, although they do share some ch a ra c t e ristics with animals.
Both fungi and animals are unable to make their own food. But unlike animals,
fungi digest their food before they eat it.
The Kingdom Fungi probably contains more than a million species, many of
w h i ch are not identified ye t . U n l i ke bacteri a , whose cells are without nu cl e i ,
fungus cells have at least one nu cleus.The tubular-shaped cells of fungi join
together to form long, h o l l ow strands called hy p h a e , w h i ch make up most of
the body, or mycelium, of each fungus.The hyphae release enzymes that break
down food for the fungus to absorb.
Mycologists, scientists who study fungi , group these organisms by the way they
reproduce. Most fungi are contained in three common groups: molds, sac fungi
and club fungi, and many re p roduce with cells called spore s . Because most
s p o res land in inhospitable places, fungi produce them in large nu m b e rs . Fo r
example, one wa t e rmelon-sized puffball can contain up to seven trillion spores!
Molds are the simplest type of fungi .Though moldy food is less than appetizing, it must be noted that many species of molds are actually ve ry useful to
people. Penicillium notatum is a mold that produces penicillin, an antibiotic
that kills bacteria and saves lives.
Sac fungi re p roduce by making spores in sack s . Among their numbers are
species that cause animal and plant diseases as well as edible delicacies called
truffles and common bread yeasts.When it is mixed with flour and water and
placed in a wa rm spot, yeast feeds on the sugar contained in the flour and
multiplies rapidly, giving off carbon dioxide and causing the dough to rise.
Club fungi produce many spores on little club-like structures found in fruiting
bodies commonly known as mushrooms. M u s h rooms have a cap on top of a
stalk.The underside of this cap has gills that produce spore s . Many types of
mu s h rooms are edible and delicious; h oweve r, some are poisonous and can
lead to liver fa i l u re and even death.The bodies of these fungi remain hidden
underground with their hyphae growing outward in search of food. In France,
one club fungus is known to be 600 meters in diameter and is thought to be
700 years old. Hyphae spread far and wide in order to hunt for food.The food
for these fungi is simply anything that is now or once was living.They secrete
acids and enzymes into the material, w h i ch break it dow n . Once bro ken
down, the fungi can then absorb the nutrients.
Fungi and other organisms called decomposers play an important role on
Earth. By breaking down dead and decaying organisms, t h ey serve as nature ’s
re c y cl e rs , re t u rning important organic nu t rients to the soil for future use by
plants.T h e re are also some fungi that act as parasites, a t t a ckin g living plants
and animals. For example, in 1835, Dr. A gostino Bassi, an Italian scientist, i d e nt i fie d a fungus that attacked and killed silkwo rms. E a ch ye a r, fungi cause billions of dollars in crop damage, and they are also re s p o n s i ble for causing
diseases like athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. Fungi are both friend and foe —
they are truly amazing simple organisms.
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The following wo rds are included for teacher re fe rence or for use with students.They are listed in the order in which they appear in the video.
simple organisms — The smallest and simplest of all living things, some of
which can be seen only by microscope. Bacteria, protists, fungi and viruses are
examples of simple organisms.
fungus (plural: fungi) — A simple organism with cell walls and no ch l o rophyll, b e l o n ging to the Kingdom Fungi. Fungal cells have at least one nucleus
and can fuse together to form strands or grow as single cells. Fungi digest and
absorb food from their environment. Some examples of fungi are molds, yeasts
and mushrooms.
chlorophyll — The green pigment found in plants that permits them to
make their own food through photosynthesis.
cell wall — The pro t e c t i ve, ri gi d , outer layer of the cells of plants, fungi and
bacteria.
chitin — A chemical found in the cell walls of fungi, as well as in the shells of
lobsters.
heterotrophs — Organisms that get their food by consuming other living or
once-living things.
nucleus — A membrane-bound structure within a cell that contains the
genetic info rmation the cell needs to grow and divide. Fungal cells have at
least one nucleus.
hyphae — The long strands that make up the body of a fungus. Hyphae
secrete enzymes that digest food so that it can be absorbed by the fungus.
mycologists — The scientists who study fungi.
spores — The re p roductive cells of fungi. E a ch spore has the capacity to
develop into a new fungus.
molds — Fungi that have the simplest re p ro d u c t i ve spores in the Kingdom
Fungi. Some molds grow on people’s food, making it unappetizing. Others are
added to food.
antibiotic — A drug that interfe res with the growth of bacteri a . Pe n i c i l l i n ,
made by mold, was the first antibiotic.
penicillin — An antibiotic made by the mold species Penicillium notatum.
sac fungi — Fungi that make their spores in sacks. This group of fungi
i n cludes single-celled bread yeast and multi-celled tru ffles. Other types of sac
fungi can harm plants and animals.
club fungi — Fungi that produce spores on little stru c t u res that look like
cl u b s .These are housed in the fruiting body of the fungus, commonly know n
as a mushroom. Some mushrooms are edible, and some are highly poisonous.
mushroom — The fruiting body of a fungus, containing a cap with spore producing gills resting on top of a stalk.The purpose of the mu s h room is to
manufacture and release spores.
mycelium — The mass of tangled, i n t e r woven hyphae that fo rms the main
body of a fungus.
organic matter — Anything that is or once was alive.
decomposers — Organisms that are responsible for breaking down organic
matter, decomposing it into a simpler fo rm and re c y cling nu t rients into the
soil.
(Continued)
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Agostino Bassi — (1773–1856) An Italian scientist who determined in
1835 that a fungus was re s p o n s i ble for widespread disease among silkworms.
Pre-viewing Discussion
Befo re students ge n e rate their list of “ E ve r ything We Think We Know
About...” for this topic, stimulate and focus their thinking by raising these
questions so that their list will better reflect the key ideas in this show:
• Are mushrooms plants or animals?
• What does a fungus look like?
• What positive and negative roles do fungi play on Earth?
After the class has completed their “ E ve rything We Think We Know
About...” list, ask them what other questions they have that they hope will
be answe red during this pro gra m . H ave students listen cl o s e ly to learn if
everything on their class list is accurate and to hear if any of their own
questions are answered.
Focus Questions
1.Are fungi classified as plants, animals or neither? Explain your answer.
2.What characteristics do fungi share with plants?
3.What characteristics do fungi share with animals?
4.What are the three main types of fungi?
5. How are fungus cells different from bacteria cells?
6.What are hyphae?
7. How do most fungi reproduce?
8.Why do you think fungi produce so many spores, while animals only
produce a few babies?
9.What are some examples of molds?
10.What is the mold Penicillium notatum known for?
11.What are some familiar examples of sac fungi?
12.What are some uses of sac fungi?
13.Why are club fungi given that name?
14.What are the fruiting bodies of club fungi commonly known as?
15. Describe the anatomy of a club fungus.
16.Why is it important not to eat mushrooms found in the wild?
17. How large can the fungus Marasmius oreades grow?
18. How do fungi get their nourishment? How is that different from
animals?
19.What do the eating habits of fungi have to do with their role as Earth’s
decomposers?
Follow-up Discussion
R e s e a rch indicates that students will retain their previous misconceptions
about a topic, in pre fe rence to new information, until they active ly re c o gnize and correct their own erro rs. Therefore, it is important to have yo u r
(Continued)
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