If a tree is infected with bugs in a forest, can it warn the neighboring trees? Amazingly, this communication happens regularly. Scholars observe the phenomenon and learn how scientists discovered the way fungus works as a neural network connecting plants across the land.

Concepts

plants, fungi, habitats, networking

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Discuss how the wood wide web is similar and different from the World Wide Web
• Encourage creative solutions for how scientists could learn to translate this communication

Classroom Considerations

• Requires a free account to TED-Ed

Pros

• Provides captions in English, Portuguese, and Slovenian 
• Offers to show the video again if you miss a question
• Includes many additional resources for those wishing to learn more

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.7.2 SL.8.2 SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4