Goal
Students will learn about decomposers: Fungi, Bacteria, and Invertebrates.
Estimated Time
30 MinutesSetting Required
InsideStandards
- S2L1b. Students will relate seasonal changes to observations of how a tree changes throughout a school year.
- S2L1d. Students will identify fungi as living organisms.
- S2E3a. Students will recognize the effects that occur in a specific area caused by weather, plants, animals, and/or people.
Materials
Procedures
- Explain to students that decomposition is the work of fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates.
- Sing FBI by Banana Slug String Band together.
Chorus:
The FBI… whenever something dies
Oh, the FBI… is there on the scene
The FBI… is working overtime
Oh, the FBI, to pick those bones clean
Fungus (fungus!)… Bacteria (bacteria!)… Invertebrates (invertebrates!)… the FBI
Verse:
There’s fungus all among us and it’s breaking things down,
Returning nutrients into the fertile ground
Millions of mycelium underground that’s why
When you hold a handful of the earth you hold the FBI.
Verse:
There are billions of bacteria in that soil over there
Microscopic life is in all water, land and air
You should know that they are there though they are too small for your eye
These are secret agents of the FBI
Verse:
Insects, bugs, slugs and worms are working night and day
The invertebrate crew are special agents of decay
To remove whatever’s rotten they will hop, crawl, hide or fly
Enforcing nature’s laws they are the FBI.
Verse:
Lay down very still in the duff and learn their ways
Lift up a rotten log and you will surely be amazed
Go creeping through the forest, learn to see and be a spy
In search of evidence of the FBI