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The world of fungi
Grow kits · decomposition and fermentation
Grow kits · decomposition trays
What role do fungi play in keeping ecosystems alive — and can they build things too?
Material World · Properties and changes of matter
Bread goes mouldy. Mushrooms pop up overnight. Something invisible is breaking matter down and cycling nutrients — what is it doing, and can you measure it?
Fungi are nature's recyclers. Track decomposition, grow mushrooms, and observe fermentation with your teacher — then connect what you measure to forest health, kai, and the hidden mycelium networks beneath trees.
First step
Set up a decomposition or fermentation run; log one variable at fixed intervals.
Expected outcome
System explanation with biomaterial or fermentation build evidence.
Local place context
What fermentation or decomposition system connects to your community kai or garden?
What to do, in order
Your steps for this unit
Work through one step at a time. Your teacher releases the next step when the class is ready — the overview above is always available so you know where the unit is heading.
Step 1 of 7 available now
Warm-up quiz· Lesson 1
VentureYour stepLearn the recyclers· Lessons 1–2
VentureGrow and ferment· Lessons 3–5
ObserveLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Document your evidence· Lessons 5–6
ObserveLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Make sense of your data· Lessons 6–7
InferLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Build and display· Lessons 7–8
CreateLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Look back and finish· Lessons 9–10
EvaluateLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
How you think
VOICE across 8–10 lessons across one term (Term 2 anchor)
VOICE = thinking phases · Sequence above = what to do · Tabs = where materials live
Warm-up captures naive thinking (one idea per question). Look-back pairs Q1–8 for gain; Q9–10 from investigation. Food-tech approval required for tasting.
- Venture
Lessons 1–2
Decomposition setup, fungal structure, wero
Materials: Learn
- Observe
Lessons 3–6
Grow kits, fermentation log, timed photos
Materials: Investigate
- Infer
Lessons 6–7
Chemical change evidence, comparative claim
Materials: Investigate · Portfolio
- Create
Lessons 7–8
Science fair display, FORGE builds
Materials: Make
- Evaluate
Lessons 9–10
Mycorrhizal networks, revision, portfolio
Materials: Portfolio · Check understanding
- Year
- Year 7–8 combined
- Audience
- School science fair · Food technology class · Local restoration group · School whānau
- Equipment
- Mushroom grow kits, Decomposition sample containers, Magnifiers or microscopes, pH paper or indicators, Scales and timers
Unit pages
Pick your next page
One page at a time — warm-up, reading, tasks, builds, and portfolio. Locked cards unlock when your teacher releases the next class step.
- 1Type & save
Warm-up quiz
Lesson 1, before we start. No marks — just your first thoughts.
Open page → - Locked
Background reading
Step 2 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Investigation tasks
Step 3 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Build something
Step 4 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Discussion questions
Step 5 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Your portfolio
Step 6 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Look-back quiz
Step 7 — follow your class sequence.
Unit materials
Open a tab when your teacher or the sequence above points you there — locked tabs unlock with each new step.
Formative only — no grades. Several post-check questions repeat the warm-up on purpose so you can show how your thinking grew. Your teacher uses the rubric for professional judgement, not a score.
Pre-check · Lesson 1 (before teaching)
Warm-up quiz — 15–20 minutes. No right or wrong answers.
Q1 ·
When bread or fruit goes mouldy, what do you think is happening?
Q2 ·
Same leaf in a warm damp jar vs a cool dry jar — which might change faster? Why?
Q3 ·
Is a mushroom more like a plant or something else? What do you think?
Q4 ·
How would you know something is breaking down over time?
Q5 ·
You see bubbles in a jar during a science demo. What might be causing them?
Q6 ·
What would make you think a forest floor is healthy?
Q7 ·
If you watched the same fruit peel every day for two weeks, would it look the same? Why or why not?
Q8 ·
Why might scientists care about fungi in soil?
Q9 ·
What do you want to find out about fungi or rotting?
Q10 ·
How confident are you about fungi right now? What is one thing you think you know? What is one thing you are unsure about?
AI mentor (inside your investigation)
Support appears in your investigation workspace — gentle prompts about your context, data, and analysis. Your teacher can turn assistance off for unassisted checkpoints.
Three ways to engage with this topic
They share a theme but serve different purposes — your class unit is structured and teacher-guided; community platforms are open; class insights are patterns from other school groups.
Your class inquiry world
Teacher-guided VOICE sequence, portfolio artefacts, datasets, and step-by-step release — consent-gated for your cohort.
Open school unit →Class insights from other groups
Anonymised patterns from school investigations on this topic — ideas to test in your dataset, not answers to copy.
Browse insights hub →Ten STEM inquiry worlds with dual angles: scientific investigation and makerspace builds on the same curriculum context.