DIY Anti-Fungal Potions

Age Group: 9-12 years

Duration: 1 x lesson on Day 1; 1 x lesson on Day 2 (ideally consequtive days)

Biomimicry Connection:

The use of chemicals against fungal diseases on food has a negative impact on both human health and nature. However, plants face the same challenge and have developed strategies to protect themselves from fungal diseases. We can learn from nature not only in product design, but also at the level of processes and ecosystems, and design strategies to reduce fungal diseases.

Activity Details:

Tools and Materials

• cinnamon, cooking oil, baking soda, garlic, chilli peppers, mint/oregano
• water
• containers for mixing of solutions
• blender
• pot, stove
• spray bottles
• pictures of herbs (wild thyme = Thymus serpyllum, oregano/thyme, eucalyptus, rosemary) and/or dried herbs
• pupil worksheet

Preparations

• leave the cinnamon to infuse in water the day before, according to guide No. 1 (see worksheet)
• print out the worksheets – guides for preparation of fungicide solutions
• the ideal setting is a laboratory, adapted for group work, with access to water

Description

Day 1

1. Start by asking pupils to identify the plants they will be working with from pictures (wild thyme, common thyme, eucalyptus, rosemary). Alternatively, they could smell dried herbs - identifying plants by smell - what makes the plants smell that way?
2. Introduce the topic by asking pupils if the tomatoes or strawberries in their garden ever gone mouldy? Or the leaves on a houseplant? Or something else? Is there anything you can do to avoid mould? Ask pupils to suggest some ways to combat mould, do they have any experience with this? Moulds have 'enemies' - certain substances, essential oils released from plants, affect moulds by breaking down their cell walls and thus destroying them. Most moulds also dislike alkaline environments.
3. Explain key words (mould, cell, cell wall, fungicide, active ingredients from plants such as essential oils - thymol, carvacrol etc., acidic/basic environment, pH).
4. Divide pupils into groups and instruct each group to create their own fungicide spray according to the guides on the worksheet (independent work for about 20-25 minutes on the first day). Groups, according to their ability, can try to do 1, 2 or all 3 solutions by following to the instructions.

Day 2

1. Following the instructions in the worksheet, pupils continue the work started on the first day and complete their mixtures.
2. Afterwards, each group presents their product to each other, name the active ingredient in their solution, explain the principle of protection against moulds and share their impressions of preparing the fungicide products.
3. Ideally, pupils will apply the produced mixture in the school garden, where they can observe over a longer period of time the effect the application of their product has, for example, compared to a control bed where they did not apply the fungicide.
4. Summarise what the pupils have learned in the production of DIY fungicide products and, if necessary, points out any errors observed during the independent work of the and discus with the pupils the possibilities of using natural fungicides in everyday life.

Additional Information

Learn about the uses and risks of fungicide (read here).

Read about the impacts of fungicides on human health (read here).