Soils
Lesson 13
Opening the Compost Bags
Students examine the results of their composting project begun in Lesson 2. After working with humus in several lessons, they now get to see where humus comes from.
3. Lesson set up and Management
SYSTEMS 1.1-Properties: Understand how properties are used to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects and how characteristics are used to categorize living things
GLE 1.1.5 Understand physical properties of Earth materials: Sort rocks based on size, shape, and other physical properties and Explain how some Earth materials are used by living things.
GLE 1.1.6 Understand characteristics of living organisms: Identify observable characteristics of living organisms and Observe and describe characteristics of living organisms.
SYSTEMS 1.2-Structures: Understand how components, structures, organizations, and interconnections describe systems
GLE 1.2.7 Understand that plants and animals have life cycles.
GLE 1.3.10 Know that plants and animals need a place to live.
INQUIRY 2.1-Investigating Systems: Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to do scientific inquiry.
GLE 2.1.4 Understand that models represent real objects, events, or processes.
- Soil may contain animals, plants, and their remains.
- Over time, dead plants become part of soil.
- Composting, especially with worms, is an effective way to recycle old plants and other discarded organic matter.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
Students will need their compost bags/bins as well as their planting tubes for observation.
If time is short, this lesson could be divided into two different lessons: one to examine compost bags and one to examine changes in the planting tubes.
Student Management:
Students should avoid handling the worms too much and should definitely be cautioned not to poke at the worms with the wooden stirrers.
Dumping out a compost bag to observe a worm. |
Sometimes worm egg sacs can be found; sometimes these are referred to as cocoons. |
Be sure to compare and contrast student compost bag/bins to the bag without worms.
Writing Support:
Students should draw labeled diagrams of changes in the plants in the tubes and write about changes they observe.
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin is a clever, fictional look at the worm's life from the worm's point of view. A good creative writing activity is to have students write a diary of a worm story from their worm's point of view. This is a good opportunity to discuss point of view in writing.
Reading Support:
There are several good non-fiction and fictional books about worms and composting. Among them are Worm by Jill Bailey, Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser, An Earthworm's Life by John Himmelman, Earthworms, Underground Farmers by Patricia Lauber, Compost Critters by Bianca Lavies, Earthworms by Claire Llewellyn and Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer. These books give insight into the anatomy and life cycle of worms, and the way worms help to make soil.
The reading selection "Anita's Amazing Compost Pile" is available to copy in the Soils teacher's manual for students to read and insert into their science notebooks.