Lesson Description
This lesson introduces learners to the primary parts of a mushroom by allowing them to build their very own mushroom! Learners will watch a video to learn about how mushroom farmers grow mushrooms before designing their own top-secret new mushroom. This lesson engages learners' creativity while exercising their understanding of basic mushroom morphology.
Associated Standards
K-2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. |
3-5
4LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1 (also SL.4.1, SL.5.1) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. |
6-8
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study. MS-LS1-4 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. |
Essential Questions
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Enduring Understandings
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Learning Objectives
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Materials
- Paper
- Writing utensils
- Modeling clay
Lesson Instructions
- Background
- Anticipatory Set:
- Show learners this YouTube video about mushroom farming: https://youtu.be/HLtGRHX0sLI
- In this video, the mushroom farmer will describe the basic parts of a mushroom
- After the video, ask learners to write down three facts they remembered from the video.
- Explain to learners that today they will be mushroom farmers who will be debuting their special, top-secret, new mushrooms to the world! To do this, they will be building their very own mushrooms out of modeling clay. Their mushrooms should be very creative, but must contain the primary components of a mushroom including the mycelium, a fruiting body with either gills, pores, or teeth, and spores.
- Learners will have fifteen minutes to complete their mushrooms. After the first seven or eight minutes, have learners display their progress, demonstrating each of the required components. This not only helps the educator ensure that everyone is staying on task, but also helps remind learners of the required components, should they forget.
- After fifteen minutes, all work must cease and each learner must present their mushroom to the group. Encourage learners to make up a story about the mushroom. Where does it live? How does it survive? Based on the shape and size of the mushroom, will the spores travel far or nearby? Based on the shape of the spores, are they likely to stick to animals (rough spores)? Or travel really far on the wind (smooth spores)?
References and Resources
Mushroom morphology information sourced from Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora
Our lesson plans utilize the backward design model presented by Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
Our lesson plans utilize the backward design model presented by Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe