KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Cooperating Teacher: Group Size: 20

Marissa Weidner

Date:

4/2/14 Coop. Initials

Allotted Time Compost

5 weeks

Grade Level

2nd

Subject or Topic:

Section

STANDARD: 4.5.2.D: Describe how people can help the environment by reducing, reusing, recycling and composting I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes): The 2nd grade students will learn that composting is one way that we enable organic trash complete its full-loop life cycle and learn that trash is composed of two types of waste: organic and inorganic. II.Instructional Materials Mason Jars Pieces of trash: an apple core, a piece of plastic, two leaves from outside, a piece of bread, a piece of tin or aluminum foil, and a piece of paper. Soil, enough to fill six jars (from outside, not store-bought) Composting workbook (1 per student) III.Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea) A. Prerequisite Skills ! Fine motor skills ! Gross motor skills ! Reading skills ! Listening skills B. Key Vocabulary ! Organic Waste: waste from organisms or the products of their life processes ! Inorganic Waste: waste not from organisms or the products of their life processes

! Decompose: to separate or resolve into components or elements; disintegrate ! Decomposer: an organism, usually a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down the cells of dead plants and animals into simpler substances ! Full-loop life cycle: a life cycle for a material that never comes to an end ! Linear life cycle: a life cycle for a material that comes to an end ! Compost: a mixture of decayed or decaying organic matter used to fertilize soil ! Microorganism: an organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope and that typically consists of only a single cell. C. Big Idea ! Composting is not only beneficial humans, but to the environment as well. IV.Implementation A. Introduction ! Read, Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals ! Bring in a bag of items of things that we may throw in the trash, and have students decide whether they are organic or inorganic by determining what they are made of. ! Explain to the students the difference between organic and inorganic waste and have the students go back and make any changes to what they originally decided what was organic and inorganic. ! Go through the word wall to help students have a better understanding of the terms what will be used throughout the lesson. ! Write down and define the steps of the scientific method. B. Development ! In the workbook, have each student write out a question provided by the teacher (Ex. Which kinds of trash will take the longest to break down?) ! Have the students hypothesize whether or not each piece of trash will decompose by the end of the seven week experiment. They should consider whether the object is organic or inorganic. ! Have each student record initial observations of each object. They should include size (length, width, and height), color, shape, and a simple sketch. ! Give each group 6 mason jars and have them place each trash item in a clean, empty mason jar. The students should try to place the item against the glass, so they can monitor it over time. ! Then the students should fill each mason jar to within 1 inch from the top with soil. The soil should be taken from outside to make sure

that it contains the bacteria and microorganisms necessary for decomposition. It is fine if you see small insects. Soil not including decomposers will cause the trash to take much longer to break down. Students will then add a few tablespoons of water to the jar, and keep the lid off. Continue to add water to each jar as necessary to keep the soil moist but not soaked over the next five weeks. Each week the students will record observations for each trash item in their workbooks. They should note color, shape, and size of all the objects, and even include a sketch if they want. At the end of five weeks record final observations in the last box. They should observe a major difference in some jars between the first and last week. In the workbook, under the analyze your data section, have the students decide whether they can accept or reject their hypothesis and write why. Finally, under the conclusion section, have students summarize what happened over time to each piece of trash, and encourage them to draw conclusions about different types of trash and how decomposition works.

C. Closure ! After the experiment is over, discuss the difference between organic and inorganic trash decomposition, in terms of time. Prompt the students to discuss the difference between full-loop and linear life cycles. Ask which is better for the environment, and why is it important that we let waste complete its life cycle.

D. Accommodations/Differentiation ! Give Timmy a word processor to use to write in his notebook because he has fine motor difficulties.

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan 1. Formative: After each observation, students will complete an exit slip, collected by the teacher, and then given back to them to put in their workbooks. 2. Summative: Collect workbook from the students to look over their work and give them a grade.

V.Reflective Response

A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (after lesson is taught) Remediation Plan B. Personal Reflection ! How could this lesson be improved? ! After completing this lesson, do the students understand how composting can benefit us and the planet? VI.Resources CAS: Teachers - Composting: A Scientific Investigation. (n.d.). CalAcademy. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/resources/lessons/ composting-a-scientific-investigation/

Workbook

Composting Scientic Investigation

You will be conducting a scientic investigation on trash!

WASTE

You will nd out how long it takes for common items in your trash to turn back into soil. In order to conduct a scientic investigation you can follow these steps of the scientic method: 1. ASK A QUESTION: Ask a question about something you will observe. It should start with one of these words: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why or Where. 2. MAKE A HYPOTHESIS: A hypothesis is an educated guess about what you think will happen in the experiment. 3. START YOUR EXPERIMENT: Your experiment tests if your hypothesis is right or wrong. 4. OBSERVATIONS: Take careful observations every week. 5. ANALYZE YOUR DATA: Using your observations, decide if your hypothesis is true or not. 6. CONCLUSION: Draw some conclusions about your analysis. It doesnt matter if your hypothesis is right or wrong!

Question: (What do you want to nd out?)

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Hypothesis: (State which items you think will decompose, and which items will not decompose. Use the information you learned in class to write your best guess.)

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Name Date 1

Composting Scientic Investigation

Apple Core:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Name Date 2

Composting Scientic Investigation

Bread:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Observations: Initial: Week 1:

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Name Date 3

Composting Scientic Investigation

Leaves:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Observations: Initial: Week 1:

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Name Date 4

Composting Scientic Investigation

Paper:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Observations: Initial: Week 1:

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Name Date 5

Composting Scientic Investigation

Plastic:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Observations: Initial: Week 1:

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Name Date 6

Composting Scientic Investigation

Tin Foil:
Hypothesis: (What do you think will happen to this item specically?)

WASTE

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Observations: Initial: Week 1:

Week 2:

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Name Date 7

Composting Scientic Investigation

Analyze Your Data: (What were your results? Can you accept or reject your hypothesis?)

WASTE

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CONCLUSION: (What did you learn from doing this experiment? Which trash items decomposed the most? Why? Which didnt seem to decompose at all? Why? What were some things that surprised you about the results of the experiment?)

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Name Date 8