Garbology

Key Topics/Vocabulary: Decomposition, Breakdown, Compost, Decomposers, Organic Material, Rot, Soil

Grade Level: K-2nd

Click here for #3 Series Description

Spanish Lesson Plan

Science Framework

Lesson Video

Lesson Bridge:

Connect this lesson to Taco ’Bout Plants (2) by asking students to think about which types of waste break down in nature and which don’t. Do the six plant parts break down? Bring the lesson full circle by explaining how compost made from plant parts gives nutrients back to the soil, helping new seeds grow even bigger and stronger.

Lesson Overview:  

In this lesson, students will explore which types of materials can break down, or decompose, over time. They’ll conduct a simple experiment by sealing different items in a bag with soil and observing what happens over a month. Students will: observe how items change as they decompose, identify patterns in what breaks down and what doesn’t, and explain how matter changes during decomposition.

Suggested Activities and Learning Objectives by Grade:

• K-LS1-1.Use observations to describe patterns in the natural world. ie decomposition
• 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external environment to help them survive

Essential Question(s) that Connect CCCs and SEPs:

• How can we run an experiment to see what things decompose and what things do not? (Asking questions & defining problems)
• How do you think the items in our experiment will change over time? (Stability & Change; Planning & Carrying Out Investigations).
• What happens to the energy in plants when they start decomposing? (Energy & Matter; Asking questions & defining problems)

Vocabulary:

Decomposition breakdown or breaks down into smaller parts.

Breakdown- To separate or break something into smaller parts.

Compost- A mixture of organic materials that can be used to help plants grow.

Decomposers- Living things that feed off of dead plants and animals and break them down into soil.

Organic Material- Material that came from something that was once alive.

Rot-The process of decomposition! When something is rotten, it is breaking down.

Soil- The part of earth's surface that we can grow food in.

Materials:

• 5-gallon bucket (or similar sized receptacle)
• Some sort of lid for the bucket that will allow air to come in (an old t-shirt or bag with a bungee around it works well).
• Healthy, moist soil
• Spray bottle or hose with spraying nozzle
• A variety of compostable, recyclable, and disposable items
• Biodegradable tape and Sharpie
• Wanted FBI Worksheet (optional)
• A scale (optional)
• Series #2 Garden Journal (optional)

Prep:

• Email teachers in advance and ask if they would be willing to collect students’ food scraps in a bucket prior to the day of the lesson (provide lid to prevent odor). This will be a science experiment that determines which types of items can decompose, so not all items need to be ‘compostable.’ You may also want to bring some of your own trash items or collect some waste from the cafeteria so that you are sure to have an assortment of items to experiment with.
• Have a plan of where you want to leave your bucket of compost. Ideally, it will be placed somewhere in the shade to avoid drying out!

Activity Procedure:

Engage:

Have you ever seen food spoil or go bad (thumbs up-yes, down-no)? What did it look like? What do you think was happening to it (Think, Pair, Share)?

Explore:

Take a look around the garden and see if there are any plants or leaves that look dead. Let students observe them and ask them what they think will/is happening to them. How is decay part of the cycle of life? While in the garden, let each student pick something natural off the ground (not off of a growing plant) to use in the experiment and then return to the tables for an explanation.

Sentence Frame: We can see decomposers in action by looking at the _______ ____. (Compost Pile)

Option: Visit your wormbin to explore!

Explain:

When things break down to make soil, we call that process decomposition. When you find leaves on the ground, they are usually in some stage of decomposition. A lot of garden bugs and mushrooms help things to decompose. Mold also helps decomposition happen. These decomposers are often called the “FBI:” fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates.

Thumbs up/down: Who here has heard of germs before?

Think, Pair, Share: What are germs?

There is a type of germ in the soil called bacteria. Even though some types of bacteria can make us sick, it helps the soil stay healthy because it helps plants and sticks decompose. 

Action: Compost in a Bucket/Bag

1. Place all of the student's items into the compost bucket. Make sure to add some items that will not decompose such as wrappers/packaging. Note: If you wish to get a weight so you can see the difference in before and after weights, first have students weigh themselves with an empty bucket and then subtract this from the weight of the bucket containing items.
2. Add a little bit of fresh soil and explain that one tablespoon of good garden soil has 1 billion bacteria in it!
3. Let students take turns spritzing the bucket with water.
4. Attach a lid to your bucket that will keep critters out but let some air in.
5. Place the bucket in a shady spot in your garden or shed.
6. Use masking tape and sharpie to date it.
7. If necessary, label it with the teacher’s name or room number to distinguish it from other classroom experiments.

Reflect:

What do you think will have changed in the bucket in a month (Think, Pair, Share)? Raise your hand if you have a prediction you’d like to share with the class.

More lesson Photos

Extension Activities:

• Ask students to do research on decomposers, pick their favorite decomposer, and then write and draw a cartoon strip of them hard at work in the compost pile.  For inspiration, read The Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin.
• Look for a fun book on decomposition/composting to read to the class. Reach out to your school’s librarian to see what’s available.
• Go out to the garden or worm bins to observe decomposers.
• Classes can adopt a space in the garden and conduct a composting experiment to test if compost helps plants grow.  Follow this guide: What Good is Compost? 
• Read the book Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth and discuss what goes into the compost
• Wanted FBI- Garbology lesson.pdf
• Other Garbology Worksheets

One Cool Earth's Zero Waste Videos:

http://www.onecoolearth.org/zero-waste.html

A few other great videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRXNo7Ieky8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufsbrz8IRgY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8miLevRI_o 

This lesson was prepared by One Cool Earth under award

NA20NOS4290033 from the Bay Watershed Education and Training Program

of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.

Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and

recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect

the views of NOAA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.