Compost and Us!

By: Jenifer Mejia and Olivia Pawlowski

Questions:

• How does compost benefit the Earth? • What can and can’t be composted?

Aim: How can learning what to and what not to compost benefit the Earth?

• Do now: Break up the classroom into 3 sections. Each section is given a word, and for each word have the students say what comes to mind and shareout with the class!Section 1: EnvironmentSection 2: PollutionSection 3: Compost

Activity 1:What can and can’t be composted?

Ask the students what they have eaten todayand, then, what they think can be composted from what those foods. Show the students the nextslides, which includes whyyou can and can’t compostcertain things.

Why can and can’t you compost certain things?

• High carbon things are great to compost because they produce heat through the oxidation of carbon.

• Acidic foods should not be composted because they can cause the pH level in your compost bin to increase and can, also, make the worms inside want to escape.

Things you thought you couldn’t compost

• Tea bags• Urine• Toothpicks• Nail clippings• Moldy cheese• Hair from your hairbrush• Sticky notes • Old loofahs• Ashes from the fireplace,

barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

• Jack o' Lanterns• Fish food• Dry dog or cat food• Pencil shavings• Old jelly, jam, or preserves • Melted ice cream• Paper cupcake or muffin cups• Your Christmas tree. Chop it

up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one)

• Old Halloween candy

What to compost!

What not to compost!

Activity 2:

• Present 4 minute video on composting. (going to need projector and speakers)

http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/wormfarm.html

Discuss their impression of the video – did they like it? Do they think they’d compost to try and help the Earth?

How does compost benefit the Earth?

• Used as a natural fertilizer• Gives nutrient-rich organic matter to the Earth• Reduces the amount of solid waste that ends up in

landfill and, by reducing the amount of solid wastes, the lifespan of landfills increases, while also decreasing the production of methane.

• Prevents pollution like stormwater runoff.• Suppresses plant diseases by increasing the

population of beneficial microbes (biological benefit)• Modifies the pH of the final mix (chemical benefit)

Bibliography

• www.earth911.com• www.pbskids.org• www.tlc.howstuffworks.com• www.basicsofgardening.com• www.mnn.com• http://

www.composting101.com/what-to-use.html