Mushroom
WHAT WE ARE
LEARNING TODAY
Hi, I’m DJ Fun-Gi!
Are you ready to learn
all about mushrooms?
Get ready to boogie
down to the fun history
of nature’s hidden
treasures. Let’s jam!
MANY
MUSHROOMS
• White button,
crimini, portabella,
oyster, enoki and
shiitake mushrooms
• Can you think of
other types of
mushrooms?
White
Button
Crimini
Portabella
Oyster
Enoki
Shiitake
FUN FACTS
• The most popular mushrooms in the
United States are white buttons.
• Mushrooms cannot make their own
food from the sun because they do not
contain chlorophyll and rely on other
plants to support their growth.
• Mushrooms belong to the Kingdom
Fungi. They are very different from
fruits and vegetables.
• Florida mushrooms grow indoors and
are available year-round!
WHERE DO
THEY GROW?
:
Alachua, Gadsden
Orange and
Miami-Dade counties
produce Mushrooms
in Florida.
Can you match the
counties to the
numbered mushrooms?
GROWING
MUSHROOMS
All vegetables get their energy to grow from the
sun, but where do mushrooms get their energy?
Click here to see the video!
MUSHROOMS
IN THE
CLASSROOM
• Build Your Own Mushroom Kit
• Get Creative! Oyster mushrooms can grow from
coffee grinds. Find out how from GrowVeg.
• To learn more about growing mushrooms
visit Better Homes and Gardens and the
Mushroom Council.
BRAIN BREAK
ACROSS
7. mushrooms in their baby stage
of growth
10. the study of mushrooms
11. cells of the mushroom used to
spread the fungus; seeds
13. mycelium
14. the root or body of the fungus
DOWN
8. to break down non-living
matter so plants and animals can
consume the nutrients
9. string-like cells that make up
mycelium
10. the fruiting body of a fungus
K-2 MATH
BAR GRAPHS
White Button
Mushrooms
A bar graph is a way to
compare data quickly!
Favorite Mushrooms
Oyster
Crimini
1.
Example: Students were asked what
their favorite type of mushroom is. The
answers are shown in the bar graph to the right.
2.
What is the most popular mushroom?
3.
What is the least popular mushroom?
0
2
4
6
Number of Students
8
K-2 MATH
MUSHROOMS ARE TASTY
Let’s make a class bar graph!
Which would you like to try?
What food would you try?
• Mushroom Pizza
• Mushroom Pasta
Food to Eat
Salad
Pasta
Pizza
• Mushroom Salad
0
10
20
Number of Students
30
K-2 MATH
MUSHROOM GRAPH
After your class creates a mushroom
graph, answer these questions:
1. Which mushroom dish is
the most popular?
2. What are other some examples of
when you might use a bar graph?
Crimini
mushrooms are
the coolest!
K-2 MATH
MANY MUSHROOMS
Let’s measure our mushrooms
and make our own graph!
K-2 Social Studies
Where did mushrooms
come from?
Mushrooms were first grown in France in
the 17th century inside dark, damp caves.
They were grown
inside caves
because they are
damp and dark.
K-2 SOCIAL STUDIES
The Journey of Mushrooms
England
Pennsylvania
Florida
K-2 Social Studies
Mushroom in the
United States
• Pennsylvania is the
biggest producer of
mushrooms in the
United States.
• Mushrooms are grown
in Florida too!
1. Alachua County
2. Gadsden County
3. Orange County
4. Miami-Dade County
HOW DO
MUSHROOMS
GROW?
Watch this video
to learn how
mushrooms grow!
Click here to see the video!
K-2 SCIENCE
Video Questions
What is your
favorite
mushroom?
1.
What nutrient are mushrooms rich in?
2.
What do mushrooms love most?
3.
Name the parts of a mushroom.
4.
What is the name of the fungus root system?
5.
Name three types of mushrooms that prefer to grow on logs.
K-2 SCIENCE
Mushrooms Vocabulary
Let’s learn
more about
mushrooms!
Hyphae
Mycelium
Mycologist
Spawn
Gills
Cap
Substrate
Stem
Spores
Click here to view definitions
MUSHROOM
LIFE CYCLE
Let’s learn how
mushrooms reproduce!
Click here to see the video!
K-2 SCIENCE
Is a Mushroom a Plant?
K-2 SCIENCE
Parts of a Mushroom
GILLS
CAP
Produces spores, which helps
mushrooms reproduce
Protects gills
RING
STEM
Protects the gills before the cap grows
Supports the weight of the cap
Volva
MYCELIUM
The mushroom grew out of the volva
Gets food for the mushroom
K-2 SCIENCE
Parts of a Plant
FLOWER
Makes seeds for
reproduction
FRUIT
Grows from the flower
and protects the
seeds inside
STEM
Supports the plant and
carries water and food to
all parts
LEAVES
Absorb sunlight and
carbon dioxide to make
food for the plant
ROOTS
Collect water for
athe plant
K-2 SCIENCE
Differences Between Plants and Fungi
How do they reproduce?
How do they get
nutrients/food?
What part supports
the rest of the
plant/mushroom?
What brings them
water and nutrients?
Do they need sun?
MUSHROOMS
PLANTS
Spores
Seeds and Pollen
Enzymes that break down
nutrients from their host
Photosynthesis
Stem
Stem
Mycelium
Roots and Stems
No
Yes
K-2 LANGUAGE ARTS
Mushrooms in the Rain
•
What animal was first
caught in the rain?
•
How many animals were able
to hide under the mushroom?
•
What happened to the
mushroom after it rained?
NUTRITION
NUGGET
• Mushrooms can increase
their vitamin D content if
they have been exposed
to UV light.
• Vitamin D is known as the
“sunshine” vitamin.
• Vitamin D helps the body
absorb calcium and
phosphorus from our diet,
which can keep our
bones strong.
Your body can convert sunlight into vitamin D after the
rays hit unprotected skin, but be careful to avoid
extended exposure to sunlight without sunscreen!
HAVE FUN
WITH FUNGI
Get creative with
mushrooms in the kitchen:
•
Add mushrooms to tomato sauce
and serve with whole-grain pasta.
•
Include mushrooms and other
vegetables in your favorite sandwich
or wrap.
•
Top a pizza or fill an omelet with
mushrooms.
•
Add mushrooms to soups and
chili’s.
•
Combine mushrooms with beans or
lentils to make a veggie burger.
Visit Mushroom Council for more tasty recipes!
DID YOU KNOW?
• Mushrooms have an “umami” taste,
which is savory, hearty and meat-like.
• Mushrooms prefer to grow in the dark!
They like warm, moist conditions and
get their nutrients from decaying
organic matter.
Not all mushrooms
are cool enough
to eat like me!
CAN YOU
EAT ALL
MUSHROOMS?
NO WAY!
Only eat the
mushrooms that you
can buy at the
grocery store or at a
restaurant. Some
mushrooms are
poisonous.
What do mushrooms eat when they sit
around the campfire?
S’pores!
Did you hear the joke about the fungus?
I could tell it to you, but it might need
time to grow on you!
What room can be eaten?
A mush-room!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Find more Florida Farm to School resources,
including previous months’ materials,
at FreshFromFlorida.com/FarmtoSchool.
To learn more about Mushrooms
visit mushroominfo.com or freshforkids.com.au
Check out these interactive teaching resources at Children’s University