Elicitation of student experiences. Teacher rapidly asks almost all students to state where they have seen fungi before without much comment on these experiences.
Examination of pictures and samples of mushrooms, mold on bread and mold on fruit/vegetables in Ziploc bags. Materials rotate every 7 minutes for the purpose of infusing a new idea for small groups to think about without the teacher being present to press students. Teacher circulates, using back-pocket questions to elicit more observations. For example:
- For the picture of the mold on an orange- Do you think this is one organism or many organisms?
- What did you notice about the moldy fruit? Why do you think it is squishy and has a liquid at the bottom of the bag?
Students answer questions on worksheet that probes students initial ideas about fungi processes Activity 42 There is a fungus among us:
- What are examples of different kinds of fungi?
- Where can you find fungi?
- What characteristics make fungi different from plants?
- How are fungi different from us?
- How might fungi be similar to plants and animals?
- What basic things do fungi need in order to survive? What kinds of things do they need to be able to do in order to survive?
Whole-class debrief. Teacher constructs a class concept map of students initial ideas and questions. In the middle of the map she writes the essential question and then groups the students ideas on the map (according to ideas about decomposition, digestion/nutrition, environmental conditions, reproduction, and growth). Students are asked to write at least 2 questions they have about fungi for homework. These are recorded the following day.

Discussion Questions: 1) Janet chose to spend 1and a half days eliciting what students know about decomposition, digestion and respiration. What are students initial understandings? Complete RSST tool. 2) How does she uncover these ideas? What kinds of questions does she ask when students give incomplete responses or reveal an alternative conception? What does she do when she first enters a group?