○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

M.J. Beaton is a sixth-grade teacher living in Toronto, Canada.

by M.J. Beaton

Rard and his adventures in a strange new world. In

eading Harry Potter aloud to my class one au-tumn sparked the students’ imaginations and alsomine. As a result, that semester I designed andtaught a thematic unit based on Harry Potter. Thestudents were able to identify with the 11-year old wiz-

mathematics, language arts, and science, we studied a curriculum asit might have been taught at Hogwarts School. (In reality it was thesixth-grade curriculum in disguise.) The unit built on the atmosphere createdby J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

In her creation of a curriculum at Hogwarts School, Rowling has based a few of thewizard subjects on studies such as life science, plants, and physical science. Her students arecurious and interested in their new classes. The atmosphere appears to be one of hands-onactive learning. Although not the prime focus of the novel, studies are important and, inthe end, prove to be the key to finding the sorcerer’s stone. The wizardry students appear tobe focused and on-task in their classes.

A principal element in recreating this environmentin the classroom is reading the novel aloud for half

an hour each day (in language arts class). Read-ing it first thing in the morning sets the stagefor Harry Potter classes during the day. Whenlistening to the novel, one cannot help but en-ter the magic world of Harry Potter.

I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A R Y

1 5 Januar y 2004s c i e n c e s c o p e

1 6 Januar y 2004s c i e n c e s c o p e

I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A R Y○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The unit does not start until chapter five of the novel isread to the class. It is then that Harry embarks on his shop-ping trip to buy school supplies. In a mathematics class thesixth-grade students engage in an open-ended budgetingproblem for the purchase of these same school supplies. Us-ing the wizard context creates a motivation for learning andenables students to understand the problem. They are will-ing to take risks in this familiar context. Communicationskills improved as the students were now able to discuss sci-ence together with mathematics concepts.

The inquiry orientation of the science program capitalizeson the student’s fantasy of learning new and different subjectsand the discovery involved. Subjects that might seem ordinaryin the course of the curriculum take on a new dimension.

Each of three Harry Potter science segments is three weeksin length. The Kingdom of Fungi was the first topic taught.The students were able to imagine Harry Potter studyingmushrooms and fungi as part of his curriculum at HogwartsSchool. They had studied his reading list and recognized thisinquiry as a topic taught by Professor Sprout.

To begin the unit, students were asked to brainstorm theirprior knowledge of mushrooms and fungi. They did this ingroups of four, suggesting information and building on theobservations of others. In a whole-class forum, they discussedtheir answers and recorded them on chart paper that wasposted for the duration of the unit.

They shared the following information:

• fungi are used in the production of penicillin and certaincheeses;

• mushrooms are fungi;• some mushrooms are poisonous;• mushrooms come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors;

and• mushrooms reproduce through spores.

To start the inquiry process students were asked to frame ques-tions that they would like to answer during the course of theunit. The questions from the groups indicated genuine interestin the subject. Do mushrooms kill people? Are magic mushroomshallucinogenic? Is moss a fungus? Are fungi classified as plants?How can poisonous mushrooms be identified? Are drugs otherthan penicillin made from mold? After recording these answersand posting them, the students were ready to start their research.

The class was required to use library and Internet re-sources to discover more about mushrooms and fungi. Thiswas done on an individual basis, however, students sharedbooks and Internet sites. In their science journals they wererequired to record facts they found, but they were not lim-ited to answering only the questions that had arisen in thecourse of the discussions.

Field research was undertaken in the woods adjacent tothe school property. Before searching for samples of mush-rooms and fungi, we researched poisonous mushrooms inthe province, finding two varieties. The students studiedpictures of these mushrooms so they would not acciden-tally pick them. They were warned not to tastemushrooms and to wash their hands after handlingany wild mushroom. We also discussed taking onlythe samples needed and leaving the forest intact.

The students formed informal groups to observe mushroomsand fungi in the ecosystem. They took note of the tablelandsand the areas that produced the most mushrooms. They ob-served the decayed matter on the forest floor, now understand-ing the process by which the fungi consumed dead plant ma-terial. The groups took samples and used field guides to iden-tify different types of mushrooms. Each group had a field guide,paper bags for samples, and a magnifying glass.

This activity was a valuable hands-on exploration for thestudents, but it might not be practical for all classes. If costis a factor in planning field research, the alternative is topurchase mushrooms locally for classroom study.

On returning to the classroom, the groups made sporeprints from the wild mushroom caps (see activity on page17). It is important to do this when the small wild mush-rooms are still fresh to ensure that the spores have not fallenfrom the gills. Each print is unique to the species of mush-room. This activity provided an excellent lead-in to a dis-cussion of mushroom reproduction and toxic mold growth.

Students were required to write field reports for their sci-ence journals. They recorded what samples they had found,where they had been found, and to what classification theybelonged. In describing the findings, students used scien-tific language, such as gills, spores, lichens, and other termspertinent to fungi. The reports gave students the opportu-nity to connect their background research to field observa-tions. They knew where to look for different fungi types in

Field trip reportFIGURE 1

For your science journals, each student must write a reportabout the field trip. The following are suggestions for your

report:

• Describe what you found (size, appearance, feel, color, etc.).• Give observations about where you found your sample.• Draw a picture of your specimen.

• Identify and list each specimen you collected, includingthe common and scientific name for each.

• Classify the different types of samples you collected.

• Include other information or observations.

1 7Januar y 2004 s c i e n c e s c o p e

I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A R Y○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

the woods and recognized that the mushrooms would growbest in the moist areas of the forest. This gave the students abetter perspective on mushrooms and fungi.

The field reports focused on the science requirementsdetailed in the assignment sheet while at the same timeaddressing language arts considerations such as sentencestructure, grammar, and paragraphing. The reports were in-teresting and informative, reflecting both the positive fieldexperience and attention to the writing process. By inte-grating language arts and science, students were providedwith an authentic opportunity for writing.

In another activity the students wrote poetry about mush-rooms and fungi. They reflected on their outdoor experience andused rich descriptive language. These poems were copied ontomushroom shaped paper and decorated for classroom display.

To complete the study, the final session was a whole-classdiscussion during the science period that focused on boththe learning and the process of exploring mushrooms and fungi.The students returned to the list of questions they hadbrainstormed and added others that had arisen during theirresearch and fieldwork. The class worked together to answerall of these questions. They shared their new knowledge anddiscussed other related subjects they had learned about, suchas composting and bioremediation. This final debriefing ses-sion not only facilitated integrating new knowledge into whathad already been known, but also provided an opportunityfor the students to review the process of science in which theyhad been involved.

By the conclusion of the unit each student had a portfolioof work that could be assessed. The research in their sciencejournals was reviewed for content, as well as presentation andgrammar. The spore prints indicated participation and groupwork. The field reports were graded using a rubric that wasconnected to the assignment sheet, ensuring that studentsunderstood what was expected. Poetry was assessed based onform and descriptive language. In the final discussion, eachstudent’s participation was noted, and if they had not con-tributed to the discussion, they were asked for their opinions.This method of assessment captured the students’ progress overa specific period of time.

Our investigation of authentic inquiry questions using avariety of resources in a supportive environment fosteredself-directed learning. As the inquiry unfolded, students be-came more self-directed. They became comfortable identi-fying what they had to learn, conducting their own research,synthesizing new information and recording it in their jour-nals, and creating new knowledge.

StandardsThe National Science Education Standards promote inquiry-based learning for students. This involves setting goals for

learning based on mandated curriculum and reform stan-dards and creating authentic contexts for learning. The les-sons and activities should incorporate student interests,knowledge, and experience.

In this process the teacher serves as a guide and facilitatorfor student learning. As science is often a collaborative endeavor,communicating ideas in small groups and whole-class discus-sions is of prime importance. Student teaching and assessmentstrategies should support the development of student under-standing and nurture a community of science learners.

Problem-based learning requires that students share re-sponsibility for their own learning, shaping problems to beexamined and choosing science content that is meaningfulto the inquiry. The students are put in a role where theybecome an active part of the problem. They use their imagi-nations to develop into inquirers. This provides both a dif-ferent perspective for the students and a motivational con-text for study.

AcknowledgmentMy thanks to David A. Reid of Acadia University for his adviceand suggestions for this article.

Spore prints

1. Use a field guide or other resource to identify yourmushroom. Write the name of the mushroom on a label

and set aside.2. Remove the cap from the stem of the mushroom.3. Determine if the spores of the mushroom are light or

dark in color by tapping the cap lightly over pieces oflight and dark paper. If the spores are light, place thecap, gill-side down, on a piece of dark paper. If the

spores are dark, place the cap on a piece of light paper.4. To protect the mushroom from accidental contact and

air currents, place a cover, such as a cup or bowl, over

the mushroom cap and let it stand overnight.5. The next day, remove the cover, and then gently lift the

mushroom cap from the paper so you don’t disturb the

spores beneath.6. Attach your label in the corner of the spore print for

identification purposes.

WWW.ANBG.GOV.AU/FUNGI/SPORE-PRINTS.HTML