Lesson Plan

Grades K-2, 3-5

Scraps Into Soil

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Several class periods

SUBJECTS: Science, Social Studies

TOPICS: Personal Consumption, Solid Waste

Resource Overview

Students gather materials and observe if and how they decompose over time in a natural setting.

Students will be able to:
  • Differentiate between natural and man-made waste products.
  • Examine the difference in decomposition rates between natural and man-made items.
  • Determine how composting impacts the amount of waste that goes into landfills.
Students build compost bins in 2-liter bottles to compare the breakdown of organic and inorganic materials

Features of This Resource

  • Lab activity for elementary grades
  • Students create a hypothesis
  • Observing and recording findings from decomposition experiment

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