Revised models show a range of student thinking, each with assets that will be important for developing a final model. Samples A and B show strong attention to detail and observation. These students noticed many different elements that they thought might be important to water collection even though they have yet to identify a specific mechanism for collection. Sample A made independent observations that water droplets are in the environment, that the legs have water droplets on them, that the arms and legs are important appendages to the beetle, that the beetle does headstands, and that bumps on the back of the beetle look sticky. Sample B also observes the bumps on the back of the beetle—but also notices that some don’t have bumps and wonder if this is a gender difference, the arms and legs, and posits that the headstands allow the beetle to look around more easily. In both samples, we see students open to many possibilities as they pose several “I wonder…” questions about their noticings.

Sample C starts moving toward a mechanism. This student also noticed the water droplets on the legs and thought the headstands were an important part of water collection. This student thought that the mechanism was related to the sand and gathering water from the sand using the arms and legs and the headstand.

Samples D, E, and F recognize the presence of water vapor in the fog as a central source of water. Some, like Samples D and E have no mechanism but see the “dust water” in the fog. Sample F, however, makes a connection between the water vapor in the fog and the beetles back, stating that the water sticks to the back of the beetle, although the academic vocabulary of hydrophobic and hydrophilic relationships are not yet present.