Differentiation Introduce the terms Large Organic Molecules and Small Organic Molecules with examples. Students will need this information to explain digestion and biosynthesis. Strategic grouping with strong speakers Hand out individual Decomposer Posters for students to trace molecules that can be written on and kept in the accompaniment of the penny/nickel exercise Work on Tracing Atoms and Energy in Fungi worksheet together and create a pie chart to show what makes up decomposers from the information students gather Modifications At the end of the activity, have students explain the difference between biosynthesis and digestion to a partner. Have the students “act out” digestion and biosynthesis by assigning them molecules using signs. Have them move around the room to represent the two processes by linking and unlinking hands. Extending the Learning Listen to the National Geographic Podcast from the Encyclopedia of Life (http://eol.org/info/podcasts_fungi) Unlike plants and animals, fungi do not have a vascular system to move materials long distances. Instead materials move long distances through fungal hyphae. This is accomplished by both pressurized bulk flow (similar to sap movement in the phloem of plants) and cytoplasmic streaming (similar to movement of materials within amoebas). You can show your students a video of hyphal cytoplasmic streaming here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry0E5YTEazs
