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NAMA Mushroom Teaching Kits

NAMA has prepared two Mushroom Teaching Kits, available for rental. The Kits provide materials for teaching about fungi, for teachers, naturalists, mushroom clubs, nature organizations, libraries and science museums, as well as for displays at mushroom, garden, and state fairs.

The Eastern Mushroom Teaching Kit contains material suitable for the United States, east of the Mississippi, and eastern Canada. The Western Mushroom Teaching Kit contains material suitable for the western States and the western part of Canada. The contents of the Kits are similar, with a geographical variation in the photos, dried fungal samples and spore prints, and some instructional materials.

Using the NAMA Mushroom Teaching Kits

The Kits contain materials for school grades 1-12, advanced placement courses and early college level biology and ecology courses. The Kits can also be used in adult education courses, in science museums and in nature centers. Mushroom clubs can use this material to teach mushroom classes for their members.

The Kits will enable you to teach about fungi — mushrooms, "shrooms", truffles and other forms of fungal organisms. They explain the role of fungi in their ecological relationships with humans and the land. Included are digitalized teaching materials and photos on computer CDs, lesson plans, information on wool dyeing, toxins, mushroom field guides and books about mushrooms at several reading levels, classroom craft ideas and much more. If you have specific needs, just certain portions of the Kits may be requested.

Use of these materials is offered through the North American Mycological Association's Education Committee. They can be borrowed for a period of a week to a month, depending upon the needs of the teacher and students. Planning ahead is important: during the fungal season the contents of the Mushroom Teaching Trunk may be popular!

Contents of the Eastern Mushroom Teaching Kit

In order to better serve you, we are providing the renter of the Kit a breakdown of the contents by Grade Level. Choose the grouping that best matches your Grade level and we will send you only those items. If you have specific needs, you may choose items in different Grade Levels from the kits.

Grades K-3

A. Instructional Materials Including Media

  1. Lesson Plan ideas and activities for Grades K-12 relating to Fungi on NAMA web site: http://namyco.org/education/k-12.html
  2. 13 dried mushroom samples
  3. Foam blocks and skewers to mount fresh mushrooms
  4. 25 plastic hand lenses
  5. Foldable magnifier (110 diameter, 2x magnification)
  6. 18 laminated spore prints and article by Sam Ristich
  7. Mushroom Dye Chart, Little wool gnome and Skeins to show Dyeing with mushrooms by Susan Hopkins
  8. Fungi teaching materials for teachers (Sundberg)
  9. 9 overhead transparences and 9 laminated copies, illustrating How Mushrooms Grow, The Variety of Shapes and Spore bearing Surfaces and Mushroom Ecology (Freedman)
  10. Illustrations of mushrooms on 4"x5" poster board
  11. 26 photos of different mushrooms on a CD (also on slides), with a list of the scientific names
  12. NAMA Mushroom Poisoning Poster
  13. Optional suggested materials; not included and supplied by teacher: crayons, coloring markers and coloring pencils, drawing paper, copies of pages from the book "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book"

B. Books

  1. "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book" (Arora, Bowers)
  2. "A Young Person's Guide to the Fungi " (Kendrick)
  3. "A New Home for 'Lil Gnome" (Parker)
  4. "Katya's Book of Mushrooms" (Arnold, Swope)
  5. "North American Mushroom Photo Postcards" (Johnson)
  6. "The Fungus that Ate My School" (Dorros)
  7. "The Audubon Field Guide to North American Mushrooms" (Lincoff)

Particular attention should be given to the book “How the Mushroom Got its Spots, An Explainers Guide to Fungi” (Assinder and Rutter), the entire content of which can be downloaded, page by page.

Grades 4-8

A. Instructional Materials Including Media

  1. Lesson Plan ideas and activities for Grades K-12 relating to Fungi on NAMA web site: http://namyco.org/education/k-12.html
  2. 13 dried mushroom samples
  3. Foam blocks and skewers to mount fresh mushrooms
  4. 25 plastic hand lenses
  5. Foldable magnifier (110 diameter, 2x magnification)
  6. 18 laminated spore prints and article by Sam Ristich
  7. Mushroom Dye Chart, Little wool gnome and Skeins to show Dyeing with mushrooms by Susan Hopkins
  8. Fungi teaching materials for teachers (Sundberg)
  9. 9 overhead transparences and 9 laminated copies Illustrating How Mushrooms Grow, The Variety of Shapes and Spore bearing Surfaces and Mushroom Ecology (Freedman)…same material on CD with additional teaching material.
  10. Illustrations of mushrooms on 4"x5" poster board
  11. 26 photos of different mushrooms on a CD (also on slides), with a list of the scientific names
  12. NAMA Mushroom Poisoning Poster
  13. DVDS by Taylor Lockwood: "Mushroom Identification Trilogy"; "Treasures from the Kingdom of Fungi"; "The Good, The Bad and The Deadly"
  14. "Myko CD" (Wood)
  15. Videocassette: "Slime Molds", with a Teacher Guide, Iowa State University
  16. Mycological Society of America Career Poster
  17. Optional suggested materials; not included and to be supplied by teacher: crayons, coloring markers and coloring pencils, drawing paper, copies of pages from the book "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book"

B. Books

  1. "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book" (Arora, Bowers)
  2. "A Young Person's Guide to the Fungi " (Kendrick)
  3. "A New Home for 'Lil Gnome" (Parker)
  4. "Katya's Book of Mushrooms" (Arnold, Swope)
  5. "North American Mushroom Photo Postcards" (Johnson)
  6. "The Fungus that Ate My School" (Dorros)
  7. "Invisible Lines" (Amato)
  8. "The Audubon Field Guide to North American Mushrooms" (Lincoff)
  9. "Fungi" (Watling)
  10. "Mushrooms for Color" (Rice)
  11. "Mushrooms for Paper" (Rice)

Particular attention should be given to the book "How the Mushroom Got its Spots, An Explainers Guide to Fungi" (Assinder and Rutter), the entire content of which can be downloaded, page by page.

Grades 9-12 and College

A. Instructional Materials Including Media

  1. Lesson Plan ideas and activities for Grades K-12 relating to Fungi on NAMA web site: http://namyco.org/education/k-12.html
  2. 13 dried mushroom samples
  3. Foam blocks and skewers to mount fresh mushrooms
  4. 25 plastic hand lenses
  5. Foldable magnifier (110 diameter, 2x magnification)
  6. 18 laminated spore prints and article by Sam Ristich
  7. Mushroom Dye Chart, Little wool gnome and Skeins to show Dyeing with mushrooms by Susan Hopkins
  8. Fungi teaching materials for teachers (Sundberg)
  9. 9 overhead transparences and 9 laminated copies Illustrating How Mushrooms Grow, The Variety of Shapes and Spore bearing Surfaces and Mushroom Ecology (Freedman.... same material also on an included computer CD along with additional teaching materials.
  10. Illustrations of mushrooms on 4"x5" poster board
  11. 26 photos of different mushrooms on a CD (also on slides), with a list of the scientific names
  12. NAMA Mushroom Poisoning Poster
  13. DVDS by Taylor Lockwood: "Mushroom Identification Trilogy"; "Treasures from the Kingdom of Fungi"; "The Good, The Bad and The Deadly"
  14. "MykoCD" (Wood)
  15. Videocassette: "Slime Molds", with a Teacher Guide, Iowa State University
  16. Mycological Society of America Career Poster
  17. Optional suggested materials; not included and to be supplied by teacher: crayons, coloring markers and coloring pencils, drawing paper, copies of pages from the book "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book"

B. Books

  1. "Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book" (Arora, Bowers)
  2. "A Young Person's Guide to the Fungi " (Kendrick)
  3. "A New Home for 'Lil Gnome" (Parker)
  4. "Katya's Book of Mushrooms" (Arnold, Swope)
  5. "North American Mushroom Photo Postcards" (Johnson)
  6. "The Fungus that Ate My School" (Dorros)
  7. "Invisible Lines" (Amato)
  8. "The Audubon Field Guide to North American Mushrooms" (Lincoff)
  9. "Fungi" (Watling)
  10. "Mushrooms for Color" (Rice)
  11. "Mushrooms for Paper" (Rice)

Particular attention should be given to the book “How the Mushroom Got its Spots, An Explainers Guide to Fungi” (Assinder and Rutter), the entire content of which can be downloaded, page by page.

If you have specific needs, you may choose items in different Grade Levels from the kits.

For best results, a telephone conversation with Carol Dreiling, in Alexander, North Carolina, at (828) 683-8678 will give you the best understanding of how to meet your teaching needs. If this isn’t possible, please send an email re the above to Carol Dreiling at caroldrei [at] aol.com.

Please see the last section below, entitled ”So You'd Like to Rent A NAMA Mushroom Teaching Kit”, for information on how to rent the Mushroom Teaching Kit.

Contents of the Western Mushroom Teaching Kit

The Kit contains materials for school grades 1-12, advanced placement courses and early college level biology and ecology courses. The Kits can also be used in adult education courses, in science museums and in nature centers. Mushroom clubs can use this material to teach mushroom classes for their members.

The Kit will enable you to teach about fungi — mushrooms, "shrooms", truffles and other forms of fungal organisms. They explain the role of fungi in their ecological relationships with humans and the land. Included are digitalized teaching materials and photos on computer CDs, lesson plans, information on wool dyeing, toxins, mushroom field guides and books about mushrooms at several reading levels, classroom craft ideas and much more. If you have specific needs, just certain portions of the Kits may be requested.

There are also references to further teaching materials available in the education section of this website.

The smaller box contains the following:

  1. The books on this attached booklist (a second copy is in the box)
  2. The grey translucent plastic notebook of NAMA Educational Programs from the NAMA Website: 32 plastic folders of Teachers' Instructional Materials (see Table of Contents for the list of these, in second plastic folder)
  3. A wad of bubble plastic to fill the space remaining.

The larger box contains the following:

A: Media (See also "Instructional Materials)

  1. Audiotape cassette & script: "Latin Pronunciation of Mushroom Names"
  2. CD: "The Mushroom Identification Trilogy" - Taylor F. Lockwood
  3. CD: "MykoCD" - Mike Wood
  4. Videocassette: "Slime Molds" and Teachers Guide (State U. of Iowa)
  5. Box & Folder: "The Polypore Box" and Polypore Descriptions
  6. Folder: "Dye Mushrooms" - 3 display cards
  7. CD cases ): Three mushroom spore prints in CD cases
  8. CD cases (2 empty) + skewers, Field Identification Forms, black & white paper for spore printing
  9. Hand lenses: 25 magnifying lenses in plastic cases
  10. Box: "Foldable Magnifier" (110 Diameter, 2x magnification)

B: Instructional materials:

  1. Notebook: "Ideas for Class Activities Related to Mushrooms," containing:
    • Posters (2): "What Can You Do with Training in Mycology?"
    • Slides & List of Fungus Names, 3 folders:
      • Gilled & Fleshy Pored Basidiomycetes
      • Non-gilled Basidiomycetes
      • Ascomycetes
    • 40 slides or CD containing photos
    • List: "A Few Websites - Can you Add More?"
    • Article and colored prints: "Mushroom Spore Printing"
    • Transparencies: "Some Edible Mushrooms" (2 transparencies)
    • Transparencies with Teachers' Guide Sheets: "How Mushrooms Grow" (9 each - Dr. Walt Sundberg
    • Journal articles: "A Few Mycorrhizal Factoids" and "Mycorrhizas, the Source of All That Is Good?" - Dr. Steve Trudell
    • Transparencies: "Herb & Tree Associates for Many Fungi (4)
    • Miscellaneous Additional Instructional Study Sheets & Guides
    • CD containing 9 drawings of "How Mushrooms Grow"-Louise Freedman. Also includes additional teaching materials on fungi.

Books In Kit

  • All That the Rain Promises, and More - David Arora
  • Fungi - Roy Watling
  • Fungi Magazine
  • Fungi, Delight of Curiosity - Brodie
  • Fungi in Fact and Fable - Peterson
  • The Fungus That Ate My School - Dorros
  • Guide to Western Mushrooms - Underhill
  • How the Mushroom Got Its Spots – Assinder, Rutter
  • Katya's Book of Mushrooms - Arnold & Swope
  • Mushroom - Watts
  • Mushroom the Journal… (Summer 2007, Fall 2007, Winter 2008)
  • Mushrooms of the World Coloring Book - Arora, Bowers
  • Mushrooms for Color - Rice
  • Mushrooms for Paper - Rice
  • Mushrooms in the Rain - Ginsberg
  • Romance of the Fungus World - Rolfe & Rolf
  • The Truffle Hunter – Moore
  • Young Person's Guide to the Fungi – Kendrick

For best results, a telephone conversation with Maggie Rogers, in Portland, OR, at 503-239-4321 will give you the best understanding of how to meet your teaching needs. If this isn’t possible, please send an email re the above to Maggie Rogers at rogersmm[at]aol.com.

So You'd Like to Rent A NAMA Mushroom Teaching Kit

The rental fee for borrowing either of these programs:
For NAMA members: $40.00
For non-members: $50.00
Return postage and insurance for $200.00 will be paid by the renter.

A request for renting the TEACHING KIT (WESTERN or EASTERN) for 7- 30 days, together with a check or money order, made out to NORTH AMERICAN MYCOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, should be sent, with agreed-upon dates of use (see below for necessary additional information), to:

EASTERN MUSHROOM TEACHING KIT
Carol Dreiling
380 Curtis Parker Road
Alexander, NC 28701-9667
email: caroldrei [at] aol.com
phone: (828) 683-8678
WESTERN MUSHROOM TEACHING KIT
Maggie Rogers
1943 SE Locust Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4826
email: rogersmm [at] aol.com
phone: (503) 239-4321

Please indicate the dates during which you'll need the Kit. If the dates are not available, we'll contact you as soon as possible.

In order for us to prepare the kit for your teaching needs, please send the following information with your request:

  1. Grade and reading level(s) of your students; number and size of classes
  2. Number of students with which you will be using the materials.
  3. How long you will need to use the materials (two weeks is usual)?
  4. Your familiarity with fungi/natural history/ botany, etc.
  5. Other information helpful in selecting materials for you.
  6. Availability of outdoor areas for field trips or exploration/learning.

Plan to return the NAMA trunk to Maggie Rogers or to Carol Dreiling by UPS or FEDEx, labeled SIGNATURE REQUIRED, STANDARD DELIVERY, on the transportation form.

REPACKING instructions will be enclosed and must be followed carefully, for the kit will be traveling great distances by truck and plane, and teaching materials need to be packed with that in mind. All materials in the Kits may be used for Educational purposes only.

If you have materials you think would be useful to teachers, and would like us to consider adding them to the Kits, please contact Carol Dreiling, Maggie Rogers, or Sandy Sheine, and plan to send a sample of your materials.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the NAMA members who have contributed to the contents of the Kits: Dean Abel, Carol Dreiling, Louise and Bill Freedman, Catharine Gunderson, Susan Hopkins, Emily Johnson, Jean-Paul Latil, Taylor Lockwood, Theresa Oursler, Nancy Parker, Samuel Ristich, Maggie Rogers, Sandy Sheine, Allein Stanley, Caryl Widderson, Walt Sundberg.