Mushroom Farming in the Classroom: A Hands-On Learning Experience for Students

Extracurricular activities are great for children, and projects on learning about mushrooms are fascinating and should be learned by the younger ones too. Incorporating fungi into lesson plans can provide students with an engaging, hands-on learning experience that fosters observation and scientific methodology. This blog post outlines various ways educators and naturalists can integrate fungi into educational activities, divided by grade level and focusing on five tracks: fungal ecology, cultivation, recycling and composting, mycoremediation, and research and science projects.

Introduction to Fungi in Education


Using fungi as a teaching tool offers a wealth of educational benefits. While reading and watching videos are useful, hands-on activities allow for sensory and tactile exploration, enabling students to observe and follow a living organism through its development stages. This approach helps students of all ages develop valuable skills in observation and scientific methodology in a memorable and enjoyable manner.

Grade-Level Activities and Learning Tracks


We’ve divided this series into sections based on grade level and by five “tracks”: fungal ecology, cultivation, recycling and composting, mycoremediation, and research and science projects. These lessons include both indoor and outdoor activities and can be tailored for a wide range of situations and educational goals.

Planning and Preparation


Before introducing fungi activities to the classroom, it’s essential to experiment on a small scale and achieve a level of success. This ensures that students remain engaged and interested. Plan ahead by preparing growing substrates and introducing fungi to colonize them. Show successful fruiting mushrooms to the class in advance of the lesson to pique their interest.

Step by step video guide how to grow mushrooms

Activities for Grades K–4 (Ages 5–10)


Fungal Ecology Track

Mushroom Art
– Use store-bought mushrooms with gills to dip into dyes and make prints on paper.
– Draw outlines around mushrooms and use them to make collages.
– Draw and label basic mushroom parts such as the base, stem, and cap.

Making Spore Prints
– Collect fresh mushrooms and place them on different-colored sheets of construction paper to collect spores of various colors.
– Allow children to explore outdoors to find mushrooms, teaching them to handle mushrooms safely but not to eat them.


Basic Life Cycle
– Help students understand the difference between mushroom spores and plant seeds.
– Use graphics to show how spores float, land on their food source, germinate, colonize, and fruit mushrooms to continue the cycle.

Life cycle of mushrooms

Cultivation Track

Fruiting Cups
– Pasteurize the growing medium the night before and allow it to cool.
– In class, mix the substrate with oyster mushroom spawn and pack it into cups.
– Label cups with the student’s name, mushroom type, and date. Place them in an aquarium with a lid to maintain humidity.
– Mist the cups daily, and observe the mycelium spreading. Measure the mushroom growth rate once they start fruiting.

Recycling and Composting Track

Paper and Cardboard
– Show how mushrooms can decompose paper by layering soaked paper sheets with spawn in a container.
– Observe the mycelium spread and begin decomposing the paper.

Coffee Cultivator
– Collect spent coffee grounds and place them in a bucket with oyster mushroom starter culture.
– Mist the bucket daily and observe mushroom growth. Harvest mature mushrooms and make spore prints.

Mushroom Paper
– Collect inedible mushrooms like turkey tails to make paper.
– Blend the mushrooms with water into a slurry and form it into sheets, allowing them to dry overnight.

How to make paper using mushrooms

Mycoremediation Track

How Mushrooms “Eat” Pollution
– Use examples from previous projects to explain how mushrooms can break down waste.
– Engage students in brainstorming sessions about what mushrooms can decompose and discuss the ecological impact.

Research and Science Projects

Observation and Communication
– After a discussion or a nature walk, have students draw or paint mushrooms in their environment.
– Encourage students to describe their drawings or write poems about them.

Conclusion

Incorporating fungi into classroom activities provides an enriching, hands-on learning experience that helps students develop observational and scientific skills. By planning and experimenting in advance, educators can ensure successful and engaging lessons that foster a lifelong interest in mycology. Whether through art, cultivation, recycling, or scientific projects, the world of fungi offers endless educational possibilities.

Explore the wonders of mushrooms in your classroom and watch your students’ curiosity and understanding of the natural world grow!