Fungi are more than fun ... they're also functional! Most everyone knows they serve as Earth's decomposers, but ancient fungi took their job to a whole new level! An entertaining video from a large biology playlist examines the giant fungi species that helped break down rocks into soil, giving rise to vascular plants.

Concepts

fungi, decomposers, soil, soil formation, rocks, the earth's history, fossils, lichens

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Assign the resource as homework the night before a fungi lesson
• Show a fantastic fungi time lapse video to give pupils some insight into their growth and development

Classroom Considerations

• Make sure the class has some basic knowledge of the plant and fungi kingdoms before watching the resource

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Great illustrations help viewers understand the structure of fungi beneath the soil's surface
• The narrator is funny and engaging

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2