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...
NASA
Decomposers Get Energy From Dead Things
When life gives you mold, make penicillin. Scholars design an inquiry experiment to determine what causes rotting and mold growth. It also covers decomposers and the important role they play for other living things.
Curated OER
Climate and Temperature
Students explore what the soil temperature would be on the north and south sides of a building. In this temperature lesson, students hypothesize what the results will be using a thermometer and then after a week see what the...
Curated OER
Sustainable Agriculture
Learners 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
The Akron Global Polymer Academy Lesson Plan Format
Students identify types of garbage that will decompose quickly and the ones that do not. In this decomposing lesson students observe and record the photo degrading of six pack rings.
Virginia Department of Education
The Cycles of Nature
Encourage peer collaboration and assist with the creation of visual aids to identify carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles as your class learns more about nature. They discuss relative information, create a visual aid...
Virginia Department of Education
The Effects of Heat and Acid on the Enzyme Catalase
How quickly do enzymatic reactions occur? Assist the class as they examine heat and pH change to determine the rate of chemical reactions using catalase as an enzyme. Watch them "glow" with excitement!
Curated OER
Microorganisms: Good Guys or Bad Guys?
Students discover the role microorganisms play in our lives. In this decomposition lesson, students examine decaying foods and plants in order to analyze the different bacteria that grows. Students discuss the good and bad of...
Curated OER
Under Our Feet
Students investigate the forest ecosystem to learn of the living and non-living elements of the soil. For this ecosystem lesson, students examine soil for twigs, moss, fungi, leaves, roots and other matter. Students...
Curated OER
Autumn
Take a walk through the forest as the leaves change color and fall from the trees, making way for a new ecosystem cycle to cycle through. An inquiry-based lesson plan examines how the process of decomposition eliminates tons of...
Curated OER
Fossil Formation Fun
Students compare the three types of fossils: preserved organisms, mineral replacement fossils, and impression fossils. They create a model of amber,
sponge fossil, and make traces of fossil.
Curated OER
What Are the Layers of the Rain Forest?
Students investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment. In this ecology lesson plan, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet. Students...
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Biomass: Biogas Generator
It's a gas. Middle schoolers build a biogas generator following the directions in this resource. After a few days of observation, they demonstrate that the gas given off by the decomposing manure is flammable. The activity concludes as...
EngageNY
Perimeter and Area of Polygonal Regions in the Cartesian Plane
How many sides does that polygon have? Building directly from lesson number eight in this series, learners now find the area and perimeter of any polygon on the coordinate plane. They decompose the polygons into triangles and use Green's...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Square and Square Roots
Root for your pupils to learn about roots. Young mathematicians first review the meaning of squares and square roots. They then use this knowledge to simplify square roots of monomials with variables.
Curated OER
Water Quality and Dissolved Oxygen
Students investigate the relationship between dissolved oxygen and organic materials and aquatic organisms. This is a 3-lesson series in which students explore dissolved oxygen and then design an experiment testing the effects of changes.
Curated OER
Fred the Fish -- A River Ran Wild
Students apply cause and effect relationships to water pollution in a stream. In this pollution instructional activity students recognize the importance of clean water in their daily lives. Students accompany "Fred the Fish" as he...
Curated OER
Origin of Coal
Students explore how coal is formed. They then discuss the information and answer any questions that they may have on the formation of coal. Students then answer questions in reference to the coal discussion and reading.
Curated OER
Classroom Composting
Students discover the benefits of composting. They identify the steps of decomposition as well. They are read a book and discuss what items decompose.
Curated OER
Composting
Students discover the concept of decomposition. They examine how it makes the soil more fertile and how it helps plants. They put a compost bin in their backyard and record their observations.
Curated OER
Cutting Corners
Second graders examine two-dimensional shapes using their characteristics. In this shapes lesson, 2nd graders identify similarities and differences by using cut out shapes, diagrams, mirrors, and graphic organizers.
Curated OER
De"compost"ition Activity
Students investigate the decomposition process and the parameters which influence the rate at which it occurs. They design a "controlled" experiment by comparing decomposition rates between two compost piles. Analysis questions include...
Curated OER
Bioremediation
Students design and conduct investigations that illustrate the effect bioremediation has on organic matter and determine environmental applications. They, in groups, present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Earth's Recyclers
Students work together in groups to report on different topics related to decomposition. They answer questions and share their answers with the class. They discuss any topic that is unclear.