Curated OER
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost
Students expand their understanding of solid waste management. They examine the effects of packaging decisions. They study engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management.
Curated OER
Investigating the Response of Worms to Soil Improvers
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, but do they care what soil is all about? Find out in an easy and fun controlled experiment. Have your young  biologists hypothesize, test, and draw conclusions about which type of soil worms...
Curated OER
Worms, Nature's Recyclers!
Students study what worms need to survive in different environments. They study how worm composting improves soil and reduce waste. They discuss composting techniques and present a puppet show about a worm's life.
Curated OER
How to Grow a Sunflower Plant
Learners explore botany by conducting a sunflower growth experiment. For this plant life lesson, students identify the anatomy of a sunflower plant and the essential nutrients it requires to grow. Learners utilize compost, soil, garden...
Curated OER
"Leaf" It in Your Yard
Learners research about the process of composting. Students apply their research by creating a compost pile at school that will be maintained once or twice a month for the remainder of the school year.
Curated OER
Can Worms See?
Second graders discuss the previously created worm compost and the importance of living creatures to the Environment. For this worm lesson, 2nd graders observe worms and record their sensitivity to light. Students design a petri dish...
Curated OER
Selecting Soil Organisms in Compost
Students conduct an experiment to demonstrate that many of the enzyme systems needed to break down society's wastes exist in nature among the decomposers in a compost pile. They culture compost bacteria on starch agar to examine the...
Curated OER
The Rotten Truth: Healthy Food from Healthy Soil
Students investigate methods of decomposition in order to make compost. In this decomposition science lesson, students set up compost bags using food and materials which decay over time. The initial lesson is approximately 30 minutes,...
Curated OER
Sustainable Agriculture
Students perform an experiment to find out if plants grow best when grown in soil with no fertilizer, with chemical fertilizers, or with compost that they have made themselves. Students discover how agriculture practices can benefit the...
Curated OER
Recyclers Revisited
Fifth graders observe their plant experiments that they started in a previous lesson and examine the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle. Two weeks after they set up a worm terrarium, they analyze any changes they observe, and...
Curated OER
The Rotten Truth
Fourth graders investigate compost. In this Science lesson, 4th graders take notes on the components of soil and its relation to plant growth. Students describe the steps in making compost.
Curated OER
Forest Decomposition
Learners explore decomposition. Students define and describe components of the decomposition process. Learners make a composter in a terrarium. Students record observations and changes weekly, drawing conclusions about the results of...
Curated OER
Soil Preparation for Autumn and Winter
Students determine how and why soil needs to be prepared for the fall and winter seasons. In this agriculture lesson, students determine how to use gardening tools safely. They show how to work with compost material and fertilizer to...
Curated OER
Worm Wranglers
Third graders set up and maintain a worm composter. They monitor the waste from their lunches, prepare the menu for the worms, and determine how the keep the worms alive.
Curated OER
Investigating the Compost
High schoolers are introduced to the concept of biodegradability. In groups, they use the internet to research the types of materials that affect the process. They collect materials from their local community and develop an experiment...
Curated OER
Selecting Soil Organisms in Compost
Students demonstrate that many of the enzyme systems needed to break down--and therefore clean up-society's wastes already exist in nature among the decomposers. They select the best starch-munching organisms by altering the environment...
Curated OER
Causal Patterns in Ecosystems Section 3
Students design and create a worm and worm free compost tanks for observation of decay in ecosystems. They make predictions, care, and revist tanks using their journals for observation and data collection.
Curated OER
Trash Disposal Choices
Students determine the differences between reusable, compostable and recyclable trash.
Curated OER
Organic and Inorganic Recycling
Young scholars examine their role in polluting the environment and discuss the importance of recycling. In groups, they place earthworms into compost piles to observe why they are considered natural recyclers. They also practice...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Newspaper Plant Pots
Students make plant pots out of newspaper as part of a recycle, reuse, and reduce instructional activity. In this recycling instructional activity, students fold a piece of newspaper to make a pot in which to start plants. They fill it...
Curated OER
The Effects of Trash and Garbage On the Environment
Students recognize the importance of solid waste management. In this science lesson plan, students analyze individual solid waste management habits as they enhance their knowledge of solid waste disposal and the recycling process.
Curated OER
Willie the Worm
Students explore Earth science by participating in a compost activity in class. In this worm instructional activity, students discuss the importance of worms in the creation of plants. Students cut out pieces from a print out to assemble...
Curated OER
Composting -- Nature's Disappearing Act
Studenst work together to discover the concept of biodegradability. They build a model of a landfill and how different items decompose. They examine how engineers use this information for better waste management.
Curated OER
How Much Is Too Much? How Little Is Too Little?
Young scholars perform a series of experiments which show that plants require nutrients in certain quantities. They also cooperatively read materials on the nutrient requirements of plants, fertilizers, composting, and soil management,...