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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Crawly Composters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the ways worms help with changes to the soil...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Selecting Soil Organisms in Compost

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Young scholars 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...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Helping the Soil

For Students 5th - 6th
In this soil conservation activity, students study and analyze two excellent ways to enhance soil conservation: compost heap and leaf-mould. Students review all the ingredients in making both.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

FBI

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders experiment with compost. In this Science lesson, 4th graders begin a worm compost as well as an outdoor compost. Students discuss decomposition.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cycling of Matter and Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
These twenty various types of questions related to the cycling of matter and energy require students to match each definition in column 1 with the correct vocabulary term from column 2. Then, students explain what is being demonstrated...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Wildlife Federation

Forest Floor Investigation

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Most living things go unnoticed. Change that using a fun activity about the nutrient cycle. Pupils use hula hoops to mark areas of study and then make observations about the living things they see. They first make surface observations,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: How Fast Can a Carrot Rot?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners experiment to define which environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They decompose carrots in dirt, weigh the carrots periodically to determine how long it takes. They look at how engineers use this type of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Nitrogen Cycle

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students design and create a compost pile in order to study the Nitrogen Cycle. They then use the scientific method to determine if plants grow better when they add organic matter from their compost pile to the plant's soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recyclers Revisited

For Teachers 5th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Where the Worms Live

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students build mine-earthworm habitats to discover their niche in them. They make predictions about what the niche looks like in a week and draw a picture of it. Students notice the tunnels in the soil and how the sand and dirt are now...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Producers and Energy Transfer

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss the relationship between producers, consumers, and decomposers as they look at the energy pyramid. While working in small groups, they create an ecosystem that includes all or some of the given categories, and they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthworm Bridge

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete analysis experiments for decomposers and their adaptable traits. In this decomposers lesson, 4th graders test worm behavior to light, sound, warmth, touch, and moisture. Students work in groups to analyze the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate and Temperature

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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 temperatures...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirt Life

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students select and collect soil samples from a variety of locations (schoolyard, home, etc.). They do this lab after an interest-generating discussion about "dirt" and microbes. Students make a dilution in sterile water, plate it on a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water-Holding Capacity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Life of Fungi

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
In this fungi worksheet, students will read about the three different ways that fungi get their food; decomposers, parasites, and mutualists. Then students will match three statements with the diagrams that fit the description.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composting

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using 2-liter bottles, junior ecologists create composting tubes in which they place nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. They observe what changes occur over two weeks' time. Provide more specific direction to your class as to what...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirty Decomposers

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

COMPARE SOILS BY GROWING PLANTS

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The student will identify the difference in the rate of plant growth in three soils that vary in organic matter.1. Obtain three to four flowerpots, different types of soil, a record chart, three to five beans for each pot, and water....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under Our Feet

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students investigate the forest ecosystem to learn of the living and non-living elements of the soil. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students examine soil for twigs, moss, fungi, leaves, roots and other matter.   Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build an Indoor Compost Bin

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners write an essay to describe the contents of a compost bin.  In this composting lesson, students create a compost bin. Learners examine soil for its contents and explains in an essay the impact of the soil on the environment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lab: Percent of Composition of KClO3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students find the percent of oxygen in potassium chlorate. In this percent composition lesson plan, students heat a solution of potassium chlorate using a catalyst, manganese dioxide, to decompose the potassium chlorate and release...
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Unit Plan
Intel

Composting: Why Bother?

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
The first STEM lesson in a group of 10 explores composting. After discussing how to make a better tomorrow, classes are challenged to track garbage in their communities, visit a local waste management facility, and conduct a survey about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Worms! Nature's Recyclers

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.

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