FBI (Fungi, Bacteria, Invertebrates)

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In This Lesson:

Who are the FBI?: 30 - 45min
Food Decay Experiment: 10 - 20 min (Plus two weeks to conduct experiment)
The Missing Piece of the Food Chain: 10 - 15 min
What is Compost?: 10 min

Total Lesson Time: 60 min - 90 min (1 hour - 1 hour, 30 min)

Who are the FBI?

Have you ever wondered what happens to all that dead stuff in nature? Or what happens to garbage and waste when we’re done with it? Some special agents are on the case, the F.B.I.!
Who are the FBI?

Watch this video to learn about the secret agents that do the dirty work all around us, the F.B.I.

Let’s make sure you really understand these down and dirty decomposers. First, Go through the slideshow and complete the activities. Then, Label a new page in your nature journal “The FBI”. Write out what each of letter of the FBI are and an example

fungi bacteria invertebrate examples

There are millions of species of fungi, including molds and mushrooms

find what is slimy, fuzzy, sticky

bacteria microscopic single-celled organisms, are way too small for us to see even with a magnifying glass

find the object that is small and easy to lose like glitter, legos, or beads

Invertebrates can include flies, millipedes, worms, and potato bugs. They are animals without backbones

draw a picture of an invertebrate riding a vertebrate

We have all been victimized by decomposers: Lettuce rots and bread gets moldy, bacteria and fungi get to our food before we do. But, these mighty-fine agents are doing the dirty work, breaking down all this waste and completing the food chain. Take a look at how these decent decomposers get down to work:

Real World Examples

Okay, now that we know all about what the FBI are, let’s explore the real world to find some examples. Complete at least two of the activities in the scavenger hunt to find some real-world examples of the FBI in your life!

Decomposer Deposition

On the FBI page you started in your nature journal, make a tally of how many of these decomposers you’ve seen!

The Breakdown

Down on the Ground with Decomposers

The Dirt on Decomposers

Food Decay Experiment

I bet it’s not very surprising that the decomposers are not very fast, think about it, a lot of them can fit in the palm of your hand! But there are lots of other factors in ecosystems that can help or hinder the decomposition process. Try this experiment!

What you’ll need:

2 plastic baggies or 2 paper bags
A banana peel, vegetable or fruit peels (like from a carrot or apple) a stale piece of bread, or another produce scrap
A sharpie or pencil

What you’ll do:

Get two equal parts of your food product (ex: cut with a butter knife the bread or banana peel in half or get two fruit/vegetable peelings)
Place the same amount of each into your containers: each of your bags and your water container with a lid
Take one bag, and label it “Freezer” and put it in the freezer.
Take the other bag, label it “control” and put it next to your water container on your kitchen counter or on a shelf out of the way
Make a chart in your field journal like the one shown below:
Make a prediction (an educated guess): If the FBI are living things, do you think the food scrap will show more signs of decomposition in the cold freezer or the warm room? Write this in your field journal.
Make notes on day 1, 5, 10, and 14 about your food scraps. Are there any new colors, textures, or smells? Did the scraps change shape or size? And any notes about changes in the environment (like the window it was sitting by got left open or the bag got moved around in the freezer).
After the two weeks are up, answer the following questions under your prediction:

Was your prediction right? Why or why not?
Which environment (the cold freezer or the warm room) showed more signs of decomposition?
If you noticed signs of decomposition, which member of the FBI do you think was responsible for the changes, why? Use evidence from your observation notes.
How could you design another experiment to test if moisture (or how wet it is) affects the decomposition process?

Why?
Check out these links after you’ve completed your experiment:

How Mold Grows and More

You’ve probably seen a food web or chain before, but did you know they often miss a key component?

Take a dance break and rock out to this song about Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers!

Composting

Not everyone has room to make a large outdoor composter or has access to compost collection from their city or county. But don’t despair, compost can happen just about anywhere! You don’t need any more space than a 2 liter soda bottle, check out this video to see how to make one for yourself!

Making a Homemade Composter!

Not all garbage and waste can be composted. Home composting works with items that have come from a plant and doesn’t work with items that come from animals or are plastic. Look at the picture to see what kinds of things you can and can’t put in your compost at home.

Activities and Other Resources