Activity 1.2: Expressing Ideas about How Things Decay (30 min)

If you decide to use the Big Idea Probe: Leaf Pack Experiment, have students complete it and share their ideas. See Assessing the Big Idea Probe: Leaf Pack Experiment and Using Big Idea Probes for suggestions about how to use the Big Idea Probe..

Show slide 2 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT.

Use the link in slide 3 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT (or above) to have your students observe various things decaying.

• This website has 30 different videos that last about 30 seconds each. We recommend watching a few and saving the bagel video for last: it has a fun surprise ending. http://www.plantpath.cornell.edu/PhotoLab/timelapse.html

Show slide 4 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT.

• Tell students that now they will take a few minutes to think and record their ideas about what happens when things decay on their own.
• Give each student one copy of 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions Tool for Bread Molding.
• Give students about 5 minutes to complete the tool as individuals.
• Encourage students to think about things they have seen in the world or in the videos they just watched to help inform their ideas.

Show slide 5 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT.

• Tell students that now that they have had a chance to record their ideas on their own, it is important to compare their ideas to their classmates’ to see how they are similar and different, and also so we know how many different ideas there are in the class.
• Divide students into pairs and have students compare their ideas on the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions Tool for Bread Molding with each other. As students are sharing, circulate through the groups. Consider asking questions such as Do you agree with each other about XX? Where did you learn about that? What experiences have you had to help you with your explanation?
• At this point, do not correct any wrong ideas, treat this as brainstorming.
• Pay attention to patterns in students’ ideas or specific individual ideas that diverge from the patterns as both may be valuable to discuss as a whole class later.

Tell students that now that they have had a chance to write their ideas as individuals and as pairs, it is important to look at the range of ideas in the class. Again, at this point, do not correct any wrong ideas. Treat this as brainstorming: all ideas are on the table.

• Show slide 6 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT.
• Give each pair 2 sticky notes.
• Tell students to write their most important ideas from their Expressing Ideas and Questions Tools on a sticky note and put it on the board under the “Your Ideas” column.

Tell students to write their most important question from their Expressing Ideas and Questions Tool on a sticky note and put it on the board under the “Your Questions” column.

Lead a whole class discussion to examine the variety of student ideas and questions on the poster. Draw out and press students to build on their ideas about what happens to the bread that the mold is growing on and what the mold is doing with air. Use the talk and writing moves at the beginning of this lesson to help with facilitating the class discussion – see the Notes part of the slide.

• Show slide 7 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT. Note that this slide is a duplicate of the previous one but with a new heading. Take this time to discuss students’ ideas, organize them according to patterns, etc.
• Later, you can use this duplicate slide as a record of class ideas for the future, either by saving the post-it notes or by taking a picture of them.

Show slide 8 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas about How Things Decay PPT. Have students partner-read the 1.2 Decomposers Storyline Reading which explains the storyline of the unit and connects it to the work of Dr. Ellen Holste. Read while using the Questions, Connections, Questions Student Reading Strategy. See the Questions, Connections, Questions Reading Strategy Educator Resource document for information about how to engage students with this strategy.

• After pairs are finished reading, have students share with the class what they found interesting and any questions they have.
• The class can also return to shared ideas on Slide 6.

Show slide 9 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions about Bread Molding PPT.

• Tell students that they will revisit these ideas later in the unit to see how their thinking changes.
• The class can also return to shared ideas on Slide 6.

Show slide 10 of the 1.2 Expressing Ideas and Questions About Bread Molding PPT.

• Pass out a Learning Tracking Tool for Decomposers to each student.
• Have students write the activity chunk name in the first column, "Expressing Ideas and Questions" and their role as the “Questioner.”
• Have a class discussion about what students did during the activity chunk. When you come to consensus as a class, have students record the answer in the second column of the tool.
• Have a class discussion about what students figured out during the activity chunk that will help them in answering the unit driving question. When you come to consensus as a class, have students record the answer in the third column of the tool.
• Have a class discussion about what students are wondering now that will help them move towards answering the unit driving question. Have students record the questions in the fourth column of the tool.
• Have students keep their Learning Tracking Tool for future activities.
• Example Learning Tracking Tool