Goal
Students will learn how to identify decomposers.
Estimated Time
45 MinutesSetting Required
Inside or OutsideStandards
- 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
- A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer
- FBI by Banana Slug String Band
Procedures
Read back through A Log’s Life, this time searching for examples of the fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates that aid in decomposition.
Fungus
Toadstools
Mildew
Molds
Mushroom
Bacteria
(Explain to students that bacteria is microscopic and can not be seen and was not mentioned in the text, but an important worker in the process of decomposition)
Invertebrates
Beetles
Slugs
Snails
Ants
Spiders
Millipedes
Termites
Pill Bugs
Earthworms