English Across the Curriculum: Mushrooms

Natural History: Mushrooms

• Warm-up

How big can mushrooms grow?

What medicinal benefits do mushrooms have?

•  Reading

Find out the answers to these questions and much more with these fun mushroom facts! Complete the text from the word bank.

Do you love mushrooms? You’re not alone. People have been enjoying mushrooms since the Cave Man days. Did you know that the “Iceman” discovered in the ­_______ in 1991 (and thought to have died 5 000 years ago) was carrying dried mushrooms with him?

Mushrooms are comprised of 85-95 % _______. They have their own immune ______ and are more closely related in DNA to humans than to plants.

Like human skin, mushrooms can produce vitamin D by being exposed to _______. In fact, exposing a freshly cut shiitake mushroom, gills up, to the sun for eight hours can increase its vitamin D content by as much as 4,600 times!

The Honey Mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) is the world’s largest known _______. This massive organism covers 2,384 acres (nearly four square miles) of soil in Oregon’s _________. The fungus is estimated to be 2,400 years old but could be as ancient as 8,650 years.

There are more amino acids in mushrooms than in corn, peanuts, or soybeans. The antibiotic ______ was derived from the fungal species Penicillium.

Mushrooms are also one of the most nutritious foods humans can consume. They can also reduce blood ______, moderate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, enhance the immune system, and reduce stress. They are a kidney, liver, and nerve tonic. For 30 years, researchers have studied mushrooms’ effectiveness against cancer.

There are a few mushroom varieties found in the wild that are highly ______. A number of these look like common edible species, therefore it can be risky collecting wild mushrooms without good knowledge for identifying mushrooms.

Glossary

DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information;

shiitake [ʃɪˈtɑːkeɪ] (also shitake, shiitake mushroom) – an edible mushroom which grows on fallen timber, cultivated in Japan and China;

fungus [ˈfʌŋgəs] (pl. fungi) – a plant that has no flowers, leaves, or green colouring, such as a mushroom or a toadstool.

•    Speaking

Here’s a real recipe. It’s delicious. Tell how stuffed mushrooms are cooked.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

20 large mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter or 4 tablespoons margarine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumb
 

Directions:

• Wipe clean mushrooms with either a mushroom brush or a very slightly damp paper towel.
• Carefully remove stems from mushrooms and chop stems.
• Place butter and garlic into a heated skillet and let butter melt, stirring.
• Add chopped mushroom stems and sauté until lightly brown.
• Add parsley, stir, and remove from heat.
• Add cheese and bread crumbs, stir to combine until mixture is crumbly.
• Lightly fill each mushroom cap with the sautéed mixture, but don’t pack

tightly.

• Set on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 50 for about 20 minutes.