FUNGI EXPERIMENT
Demonstration or experiment for ages 5 to10
Mushrooms are neither animals (like chickens, dogs, elephants, and humans), nor plants (like tomatoes,
lettuce, trees, and grass). They are a whole different kind of life-form called fungi.
fungi While some fungi are
delicious mushrooms, most should not be eaten by people. There are microscopic fungi spores in the air all
the time, but it is only when they find some dead material that they can grow.
A spore is a reproductive structure similar to a seed. It can survive for extended periods of time in
unfavourable conditions. Compared to a seed, it has little stored food resources.
Mushrooms, yeasts and moulds belong to the fungi kingdom.
Purpose
To demonstrate that there are fungi spores in the air.
Materials
-
Empty clean glass jar with a lid
Food samples (Vegetables, fruits, bread, crackers or cheese work well; do not use meat.)
Water
Instructions
1. Place several samples of different foods in the jar. Do not use meat.
2. Sprinkle a few teaspoons of water into the jar so that everything is moist.
3. Close the lid tightly. Leave it in a place where it won’t be disturbed, and is out of direct
sunlight.
4. Make and record observations for two weeks. What colour were the fungi that grew? How
many different kinds of fungi were there? How did the food change as the fungi grew?
5. Afterwards, dispose of the materials and clean the jar thoroughly with bleach.
FUNGI EXPERIMENT ⋅ PAGE 2
Other activities
Discuss the role of mushrooms in the food chain with the children. Ask them to create their own
food chain that includes mushrooms.
Mushrooms (and all other fungi) are decomposers. Decomposers form the last link of the
food chain. They break down organic material (both organisms’ waste and dead organisms)
produced by all classes of organisms and return to the soil the minerals that plants need to
survive.
Remember never to eat a mushroom found in nature
thee fungi that grow in the jars)!
(and certainly not th