wastematters!zero-waste activity workbook

featuring thezero-waste crew!

Includes compostinghow-to’s!

Waste Matters: Zero Waste Activity Workbook by Archeworks All images, characters, and narratives are licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.archeworks.org.

All curriculum resources, unless otherwise noted, are within the public domain.

Dear Educator,

Welcome to “Waste Matters!” a classroom resource for teaching your students about waste reduction, recycling, composting, and the importance of zero waste.

Currently, Americans generate 236 million tons of waste per year. Even with new recycling and composting programs our waste impact has everyday environmental and economic consequences. This is why we have created “Waste Matters,” a curriculum resource full of activities for your classroom.

These activities are organized for students to acquire knowledge, information, and skills to assist them in making informed and responsible decisions toward waste management and its effect on the people and the planet. Topics and curriculum subjects covered in each activity are outlined in our table of contents. We have targeted the 3rd grade level as a median for all activities, providing ideas in the accompanying instructor pages for simplifying or adding complexity to suit younger or older learners.

We hope that our activities will enhance your existing curriculum, and can also be used as stand-alone projects to enhance students’ progress toward achieving zero waste—both at school and at home.

Use less. Reuse more,

Agri-gate TeamArcheworksApril 2011

Introduction

LET IT ROT/instructor guidelines 1LET IT ROT/activity 2WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?/activity 3INTRODUCING THE ZERO WASTE GANG/instructor guidelines 4WASTE IN PLACE/activity 5WASTE IN PLACE/answer key 6MEET THE GANG/activity 7COMPOST LAB/instructor guidelines 14COMPOST LAB: LANDFILLS/ instructor guidelines 15BUILD A LANDFILL/activity 16TRASH LONGEVITY/activity 17COMPOST LAB: AEROBIC COMPOST/instructor guidelines 18WHAT IS COMPOSTING?/activity 19BUILD A TUMBLER/activity 20FEEDING MINI TUMBLERS/activity 21COMPOST LAB: COMPARATIVE RESPONSES/activity 22COMPOST TESTING/instructor guidelines 24COMPOST TESTING/activity 25MAKING BOKASHI CULTURE/instructor guidelines 27WHAT IS BOKASHI?/activity 30MAKE BOKASHI CULTURE/activity 31FINISHING BOKASHI CULTURE/activity 32FEEDING BOKASHI/activity 33COMPOST LAB: VERMICOMPOST/instructor guidelines 34FEEDING WORMS/activity 35WHAT’S ON THE MENU?/activity 36BUILD A WORM BIN/activity 37WORM BIN BINGO/instructor guidelines 38WORM BIN BINGO/activity 39COMPOST VOCABULARY/instructor guidelines 58COMPOST VOCABULARY/activity 59WORD SEARCH/activity 61WORD SEARCH/answer key 62WEIRD VEGETABLES/instructor guidelines 63WEIRD VEGETABLES/activity 64SCRAPPLE AND THE BEANSTALK/instructor guidelines 71SCRAPPLE AND THE BEANSTALK/activity 72GARBAGE PIZZA/activity 73RECYCLE PAPER/instructor guidelines 75ZERO WASTE LOG/activity 76WASTE MANAGEMENT/activity 77ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 78ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 79

Contents

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What happens to food that is left out? Why do some foods decompose faster than others?

OBJECTIVES:This experiment teaches kids to hypothesize about what will happen, examine and analyze the results, and test their hypothesis.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposers, bacteria, food, nutrition (if desired)

METHODS:Experiment and Observation

PROCEDURE:This experiment can follow the “Weird Vegetables” activity and utilize some of the leftover food items from that exercise. It would also be good to include other items that you know will have different biodegrading rates like fast food french fries, which will likely not show any signs of breaking down.

Students can work in pairs, and ziploc bags with food can be provided to each pair or an assortment of ziploc bags can be shared by the whole class. They will hypothesize about how the different foods will break down and use their journals to record observations.

MATERIALS:*Assorted food items*Ziploc bags*Journals

MODIFICATIONS: Teachers can provide more information about what causes the food to break down faster or slower, do litmus tests of foods beforehand, run tests on the food items with varying conditions - like refrigeration or moisture. Connect preservatives and food freshness to health and nutrition, if desired.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, graphs, sketching

LET IT ROTINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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observing food as it decomposesScrapple wants everyone to see how food breaks down! Some foods take longer than other foods and some foods have so many preservatives and chemicals that they barely show any signs of breaking down.

Place each food item in a ziploc bag. In your journal, write down the date and describe how it looks. Write down what you think will happen to it after one week.

Each day, check to see if there is any mold growing. Make note of the date that you find mold for each item. After one week, use a magnifying glass to examine the food in the bags (but do not open them - mold spores could cause harm). Describe how each item has changed. Note any mold growth. Is this what you expected? What is the mold doing?

After two weeks, complete another thorough examination of your specimens. Which items began to rot the fastest? Why do you think this is? Make a chart of the length of time each item took to rot.

Let it Rot

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Some molds can move around and they’re called slime molds!

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Compostable food items can be found in any meal. Below are a few examples. Next time you have lunch or dinner, circle any that you find below!

What’s For Lunch?

crushed egg shells are a great source of calcium for compost!

rushed eg

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What items should be recycled and composted?

OBJECTIVES: Students will learn to associate certain waste items with certain characters, to better sort their waste.

TOPICS COVERED: Respect, Responsibility, Readiness to learn

METHODS: Identification exercise

PROCEDURE: Hand out the “Waste in Place” worksheet and character stomach sheets. The students will cut out the example waste items on the “Waste in Place” sheet. As they are cutting, the teacher can read the “Meet the Gang!” introductions to the group and each individual character.

As they are read each character’s biography, students should paste examples of what each character eats onto the stomach sheets.

Once the students are finished, use the answer key (above) to ensure that they got the items in the right place. Note that both Scrapple and REE-C like paper products; Scrapple can take paper with food on it, where REE-C cannot, and all cafeteria paper should go to Scrapple to aid the schools’ compost system.

MATERIALS: Scissors, glue

MODIFICATIONS: Students could study their own digestive system and compare their stomachs to the “stomachs” in the cafeteria.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Worksheets

INTRODUCING THE ZERO-WASTE GANGINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Meet The Gang!Becoming a zero-waste school is no small task -- sorting garbage, food scraps, and recycling can be tough. But it’s a challenge that your school has committed to doing. You can help make sure waste gets to its proper place, and the Zero Waste Gang will help guide you along the way! These guys are going to come to your lunchroom and your classroom to teach you about compostables, recyclables, liquids, trash, and how to dispose of each. They might show you some cool experiments too!

Scrapple, the composting apple, is here to rescue her compostable friends from the landfill. REE-C, the Robotic Environmental Entity from Chicago, is here to make sure your recyclables can have another life. Le Che, the retired revolutionary cow, is here to get strong bones by drinking all of your milk and other liquid leftovers. Garbo, the overweight landfill monster is here because he needs to go on a diet, and you can help him by not sending as much waste to the landfill!

Garbo

REE-C Scrapple

Le Che

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Meet Scrapple!Scrapple is on a mission - scavenging the streets of Chicago for her fellow organic compostable friends. She and the rest of the food, paper, and plant waste hope to one day morph into fertile, rich soil. Only then can they finally grow and look the way they used to before they were thrown

out. School lunches have been spotted as having a lot of discarded compostable food (Scrapple’s friends!)- so she has begun sneaking into school cafeterias to seek out and rescue the rest of the organic food before it gets sent to the dark, dreaded landfill. Searching the vast school lunches requires patience and strength, luckily Scrapple is hard core!

Meet REE-C!REE-C used to be a trash compactor, but one day he saw a crew of bucket drummers and realized that "One robot's trash is another robot's treasure!" So, he got himself upgraded to be a recycling robot, and now eats only plastic, paper, and aluminum. Then he recycles those things so they can be reused to make new plastic, paper, and aluminum, which also reduces the amount of materials people need to get from the Earth.

REE-C heard that your school is trying to reduce, reuse, and recycle more, so he came by to help out. REE-C still can’t recycle really thin plastic, like zip-lock bags or peel-off lids, but one day he’ll get upgraded again and be able to recycle more!

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Meet Le Che!Le Che the cow is a retired revolutionary cow who now resides on a local organic farm, where he likes to watch Moo-vies and play the cowbell in his friends’ drum circle. He is so old that all of his teeth have fallen out! That means he can only eat liquids, but that’s okay, because he needs milk to have strong bones!

He knows that some schools have to throw away some of their leftover liquids, so he comes by every day at lunch to drink them up! Not only will he keep his strong bones, but each school will be able to recycle better without those pesky liquids in the way!

Garbo has a problem. He eats EVERYTHING you give him! He just can’t help it, even if he knows that something is recyclable or compostable, he’ll still eat it! He used to be a happy monster, but he’s gotten sick from eating all the food he’s not supposed to eat. Plus, all the compostables start to rot in his stomach and give him really bad gas... If he goes on a diet, he’ll feel much better!

Garbo wants more schools to start sorting your waste even more, so that he won’t have to eat food, paper, plastic, or aluminum, and he thinks it’s just the thing he needs to be healthier... and to smell better. Will your school help?

Meet Garbo!

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Waste in PlaceCut out the sample items and paste them onto your Scrapple, REE-C, Le Che and Garbo Stomachs as your learn about each character!

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Waste in PlaceAnswer Key:

S=Scrapple, R=REE-C, L=Le Che, G=Garbo

S S S

S

S S

S SS S S

S S S

S

R

R R

R RR

LL

L

L

G

G

G

G

G

G

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Le Che’S StomachAs you learn about Le Che, paste some examples from the “Waste in Place” worksheet of what Le Che likes to eat!

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REE-C’S StomachAs you learn about REE-C, paste some examples from the “Waste in Place” worksheet of what REE-C likes to eat!

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Scrapple’S StomachAs you learn about Scrapple, paste some examples from the “Waste in Place” worksheet of what Scrapple likes to eat!

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Garbo’S StomachAs you learn about Garbo, paste some examples from the “Waste in Place” worksheet of what Garbo likes to eat!

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is compost?

OBJECTIVES:Students have the opportunity to interact with and compare various decomposing processes.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposition; critical analysis; ecology; biodiversity

METHODS:Hands-on interaction; Identification exercises; journaling

PROCEDURE:This lab is broken into four smaller activities, which can be done independently or concurrently. The four activities are: creating a miniature landfill environment, operating an aerobic composting device, operating a vermicompost system, and operating a Bokashi composting system. Each activity has its own set of instructions.

Also included are response questions; the first sheet of questions targets a comparison between landfills and composting, and is designed for use after the landfill activity and at least one composting activity have been run. The second sheet examines the differences between methods of composting, and is designed for use after two or more of the compost activities have been completed.

MATERIALS:Students will need a journal to record changes in each of the systems. An option for this is for them to create their own from scrap paper, detailed in the “Zero Waste Log” activity.

MODIFICATIONS: Each experiment can be run from provided class-wide units, or smaller student groups can construct their own. Instructional handouts are included with each activity (except where otherwise noted).

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, worksheets, presentation opportunities

COMPOST LABINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is a landfill, and what does it do?

OBJECTIVES:Students have the opportunity to observe a miniature landfill environment to learn about the decomposition processes. Students will also learn about the rates of decomposition, or longevity, of several common items of trash.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposition, trash longevity

METHODS:Hands-on interaction; Identification exercises; journaling

PROCEDURE:This activity deals with landfills and their processes. Included are a how-to handout explaining how to make a simple mini-landfill, as well as a worksheet dealing with trash longevity. During the activity, it is important to explain that landfills lengthen the amount of time it takes for an item to decompose, because the conditions do not facilitate fast decomposition. Furthermore, the decomposers that do thrive tend to produce harmful gases such as ammonia and methane. The worksheet includes an identification activity; students are asked to guess the longevity of example items, and then to get into groups and compare guesses. Then, they can be read the following or find the answers online: Aluminum Can: 200-500 years; Banana: 3-4 weeks; cigarette butt: 2-5 years; cotton rag: 5 months; glass bottle: unknown: may never decompose in a landfill; leather boot: 40-50 years; paper bag: 1 month; plastic 6-pack rings: 450 years; plastic jug: 1 million years; rubber sole of boot: 50-80; Styrofoam cup: unknown: may never decompose in a landfill; tin can: 80-100 years; wool sock: 1 year

MATERIALS:The mini-landfills need 2-liter bottles, duct tape, various items of waste (for compari-son to composting systems, include several examples of organic waste), and soil

MODIFICATIONS: Students could form groups and vary the conditions in their landfills, such as allowing sunlight or using drier materials.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, worksheet

COMPOST LAB: LANDFILLSINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Build A Landfill

Chicago has only about 8 years of landfill space at the current rate

First, remove the top portion of a plastic 2-liter bottle

Next, take some garbage and fill it up about half-way. Make sure you get a variety of items, includ-ing food and paper.

Then, add a layer of dirt—real landfills do this to keep the smells down and the mice out.

Close it all up, using some duct tape to put the top back on, and let it sit for a few weeks. Make sure it is kept out of sunlight—the sun doesn’t go through dirt, right?

Every day, take a look at what the “landfill” is doing. Is there any kind of mold or fungus growing in there? Do things look the same as when they went in? Record your observations in a log or journal.

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How Long Does Garbage last?Trash Longevity is the length of time it takes for an item of trash to fully decompose in nature or a landfill. How long do you think the following items last?

Trash Longevity

Why is it important to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills?

What are some specific ways to reduce those amounts?

Your Guess

Example

Group Guess

Longevity

Ranking

(1-13)

What the

Garbologists say

Aluminum Can Banana Cigarette Butt Cotton Rag Glass Bottle Leather Boot Paper Bag Plastic 6-pack Rings Plastic Jug Rubber Sole of Boot Styrofoam Cup Tin Can Wool Sock

Every year, Americans throw away enough paper cups to wrap around the world 760 times if stacked end to end!

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is composting, and what does it do?

OBJECTIVES:Students have the opportunity to observe an aerobic compost device, and learn what items can be composted.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposition, microorganisms, biodiversity, ecology, chemistry

METHODS:Hands-on interaction; Identification exercises; journaling

PROCEDURE:First, hand out the “What is Compost?” worksheet and have students complete it. This will give them a primer for how to feed the compost tumblers. Then, they can either make their own or use the classroom tumblers. Have the students measure out 2 parts “browns” to one part “greens” (by volume) and load into the mini-tumblers. Students should record visual changes, as well as temperature changes and pH, throughout the process. After the compost looks more or less ready (i.e. like soil), empty the tumblers and let the students explore tactilely and record their observations.

MATERIALS:Two mini-tumblers are available; more will require plastic 2-liters, tape, scissors, and organic waste (primarily paper or dry leaves/grass, but also food/fresh grass).

MODIFICATIONS: Students could form groups and vary the conditions in their composters, such as more greens, smaller pieces, placing the tumblers outside.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, worksheet, graphing

Answers to the ‘what is compostable’ chart: Apple cores, yes, greens; Cell phones, no; socks, yes (as long as they’re cotton—they’ll just take longer), browns; hamburger patty, yes (but only with some systems), greens; glass bottles, no; plastic bags, no (although some plastics can be composted as browns); pencil shavings, yes, browns; nickels, no; dollar bills, yes, browns.

COMPOST LAB: AEROBIC COMPOSTINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Composting is the process of cultivating decomposers in order to turn organic waste into humus, a soil-like natural fertilizer that provides plants with nutrients and encourages a thriving soil ecosystem.What can you compost?Things can be composted if they are “organic,” meaning if it came from something that was alive. Compostables are divided into two categories: “Greens” and “Browns.” Greens are high in Nitrogen, and are usually wet and juicy. Most food and fresh grass/leaves are Greens. Browns are high in Carbon, and include things like wood, dried-out grass/leaves, and paper.

What is Composting?

Item Can it Compost? Is it Brown or Green? Apple Cores Cell Phones Socks Hamburger patty Glass bottles Plastic bags Pencil shavings Nickels Dollar bills

Were you surprised about some of the examples?

Pick one example and explain why you think it can or can’t be composted.

The aerobic decomposers in compost piles can heat the pile to 160 degrees Fahrenheit!

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Build a Tumbler!

Approximately one fourth of waste that is sent to landfills is compostable

First, cut the top off of a 2-liter bottle and poke 10-20 holes in the side

Once it's filled (see “Feeding your Tumbler”) reattach the top and duct tape it together.

Finally, set it on some newspaper or on an aluminum pan to catch drippage. Make sure it gets to sit in sunlight.

Optional: Elevate it with a stand, or research commercial tumblers and make a rotational mechanism.

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Feeding MINI-TumblerS

Did you know? You can even compost hair!

FIll your mini-tumber to about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

One third of that amount will be greens: food, wet grass/leaves. The other two thirds will be browns: shredded paper, pencil shavings, dry leaves/grass, sawdust or wood shavings.

You want your compost to be moist, but not over-wet. You can make it more dry by adding some dry browns, or you can add some wet greens to make it more moist.

Your compost will need to be turned daily. To turn, gently rotate your tumbler several times.

As your compost is working, record any visual changes you see. Has anything started to grow in it? Do the materials that went in look different now? You can also record the temperature. It should be a little warmer than room temp (77ºF), at the very least, but no warmer than 170ºF.

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Comparative ResponsesPart 1: Comparing landfills to compost After you've experimented with a mini-landfill and with at least one method of composting, answer the following questions:

Compost Lab

Alaska has over 300 landfills, more than double the entire Northeastern US!

What is one major difference between landfills and composting?

Why is composting more beneficial than landfills?

What is one drawback to composting, and how could that drawback be addressed?

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Comparative ResponsesPart 2: Comparing various compost methodsAfter you've experimented with two or more methods of compost, answer the following questions:

Compost Lab

Earthworms can eat up to half their body weight every day!

What is the finished compost like for each method? How does it look and smell?

How did the speed of one method compare with the speed of the other method(s)? Keep the amounts composted in mind.

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Would you like to compost at home? How would you do it?

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are the different qualities and properties of different compost conditions? How do we evaluate ‘good’ compost?

OBJECTIVES:After this lesson, students will understand the different environmental qualities affecting compost properties.

TOPICS COVERED: chemistry, analytical skills

MODIFICATIONS:Simplify by introducing the activity to evaluate all the different sensory properties of compost: feel, visual description (sketching, journal notes), smell, ect. Have students make regular observations and graph the results.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, graphs, sketching.

COMPOST TESTINGINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

PROCEDURE:Hand out the Compost Gradients and Compost Testing worksheets (students may share the Gradients handout). Then take your students out to the courtyard and allow them to examine various tumblers. The worksheet asks them to take temperature, which should be done from the middle of the pile within the tumbler, as well as pH, which will be easiest with an electronic probe. Then, the students are instructed to estimate the green-brown balance; this estimate will largely be inferred in later-stage tumblers. Lastly, if the tumbler smells like it’s rotting, as opposed to composting, the students are asked to estimate a probable cause for that. It may be necessary to add browns and turn the tumbler a few times around.

MATERIALS:Thermometer, electronic pH probe

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Composting Gradients activityUse the Composting Gradients Sheet on the proceeding page to analyze your compost.

Take the temperature of the soil. Record your findings.

Take the pH of the soil with a pH tester and record your data on the Gradient Sheet.

Observe your browns and greens in your compost. Do you have too much nitrogen or too much carbon?

Compost Testing

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4Does your compost smell like it’s rotting? If so, estimate why that is, based on your measurements.

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Ways to figure out what’s gone wrong

Composting gradients

oxygen

moisture

greens / browns

p H6.5 -7.0

Temperature(ambient)

Anaerobic(smelly)

Too wet(smelly)

Too much nitrogen(smelly)

< 5.5(slow)

Cold,

,

slower

Aerobic

Too dry(cool, slow)

Too much carbon

(cool, slow)

> 8.0(slow)

Hot,faster

Ideally, we want a good balance to quickly, aerobically break down waste

courtesy of Professor Pete Leki of Waters Elementary, Chicago, IL

o2o2

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do we create an ideal environment for the cultivation of efficient microorganisms (EM) that wil aid in the breakdown of food waste?

OBJECTIVES:After this lesson, students will have a better understanding of microorganisms that work in an anaerobic state to break down waste. With Bokashi, a healthy balance of microbes go into the soil with the fermented scraps, re-establishing the high microbial counts present in healthy soil.(1) Students can learn about the environmental benefits of waste reduction and the benefits of improving soil.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposers, bacteria, microorganisms

METHODS:Hands-on activity with teacher guidance

ABOUT:Bokashi is a method of breaking down organic waste by using anaerobic organisms to first pickle the waste, changing the cellular structure of it, and then burying the pickled material below 6-8 inches of soil (outdoors or in bins), which is quickly broken down to produce a rich soil amendment or compost.

The anaerobic microorganisms are essentially stored in a host, or inoculant. To prepare the inoculant, a brew that will attract the appropriate bacterial strains is prepared, the host material is immersed in it, and the microbes are allowed to ferment. Molasses provides an energy source for the microbes which reproduce wildly for several days. Once the fermentation stage is over, the inoculated host can be dried, packaged, and stored for up to 2 years.

MAKING BOKASHI CULTUREINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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The bacteria belong primarily to three strains: yeasts, (Saccharomyces spp.), bacteria that produce lactic acids (Lactobacillus spp.), and (phototrophic) purple non-sulfur bacteria (Rhodopseudomonas spp.). These, or bacteria like them, are the active organisms in yogurt and in silage, the fermented hay that is produced all over the world as a livestock feed. All smell sour or fermented but none produce a smell nearly as foul as those associated with natural anaerobic processes.(1)

With the finished product from this exercise, the students can maintain the classroom bokashi bin. The rules for bokashi are very simple. You can add any food waste that is not moldy (including dairy and meat), but you should not add liquids or paper. You sprinkle a layer of bokashi inoculant over every 3” thick layer of food waste, press it down, and seal the container. Specific directions for regular maintainance will be included with the bins.

DIRECTIONS:

Recipe for 10 Pounds of Bokashi * 4T - 60 ml EM-1 or equivalent microbes (1 T) * 4T - 60 ml Molasses (1 T) * 10 cups - 2.5 liters water - no chlorine residues (2.5 c) * 10 lbs - 4.5 kg bran (2.5 lbs)

Recipe for 2.5 lbs * 1 T EM * 1 T Molasses * 2.5 cups water * 2.5 lbs wheat bran

Dissolve the molasses in the water. Add the EM microbes. Put the bran in a container big enough to hold it. Add the liquid and stir it up well with your hands. The mixture should be damp enough to hold together when you squeeze it into a ball but not so wet liquid is dripping from it. Adjust the moisture by adding either a bit more liquid or more bran.

<CONTINUED>

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Put the damp bran into an airtight container - pairs of students can use ziploc bags. Squeeze out all the air and fasten the top securely. Let it sit in a warm place out of the way for a minimum of two weeks. It's okay to leave it longer.

There may be some white mold on the fermented bran at the end of the two weeks. This is good. If however the mold is black or green it means either some air got in or the material was too wet, and the experiment went awry - toss it out.

For storing long term, dry the bran well on a tarp in a warm, dry place for 2-3 days. Ten pounds of bokashi would last the average family 6-10 months. Properly dried it can be stored for several years. Store in an airtight container out of direct light.

MATERIALS: * EM (provided) * Molasses (provided) * Water - no chloride residue (tap water left out 24 hours) * Wheat bran (provided)

MODIFICATIONS: To simplify, the teacher can pre-mix the water, molasses, and EM, and have the students mix the wet and dry ingredients. To add complexity, talk about aerobic and anaerobic conditions, include microscopic analyses, include mathmatic principals for ratios, intentionally sabatoge the experiment and analyze what happened.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: After Bokashi solution begins pickeling the compost, oberservations can be made at intervals to record changes and rates of decomposition, odors, termperature, ect.

<CONTINUED>

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Bokashi is a Japanese composting process that relies on anaerobic digesters in a two-stage process. The first stage uses Effective Microorganisms, or EM, to “pickle” food waste. You may be familiar with pickled cucumbers—or simply pickles. They aren't quite cucumbers anymore, but they're still recognizable. That's kind of what the first step is, except you can't eat it.

The second stage is the real composting. The benefit of the first stage is that the second stage goes very quickly: soil with Bokashi is ready to plant in 2 - 3 weeks! That basically gives the soil time to neutralize the acidity, so there are still a few pieces of things, but they'll get broken down in a few more weeks.

Bokashi can decompose any food, and even bones (though they take longer). Meat, cheese, banana peels, orange peels, all the things that are harder to decompose in other systems can go into Bokashi. However, other things, like paper or wood take a long time to break down in Bokashi.

What is Bokashi?

Bokashi Effective Microorganisms include a variety found in milk and rice!

An anaerobic organism does not use oxygen. What kind of environment would such an organism thrive in?

The EM used in the first stage of Bokashi are microorganisms. What is the difference between micro- and macroorganisms? When do you think macroorganisms become part of the bokashi-to-soil process?

Do you think worms would like the pickled Bokashi mix? Why or why not?

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Make Bokashi Culture

there are bacteria living in every cow’s stomach that helps them break down plant cellulose, so they can eat grass!

Materials:

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Microorganisms make up the largest number of living organisms on the planet. Luckily for us, they’re tiny! They’re so small you need a microscope to see them. There are not millions, or billions, or trillions of them -- there are trillions of trillions of trillions of microbes on Earth, and probably more that scientists haven’t even discovered yet!

There are good microbes and bad microbes. Some of the good ones can even eat your garbage! Today we are going to grow a colony of good microorganisms that will help break down our food waste.

* 2.5 cups warm water* 1 T molasses* 1 T EM - effecient microorganisms* 2.5 lbs wheat bran

Mix the molasses and the water first. Then add the EM, stir it all up and addit to your wheat bran. Mix it all together so that there’s no dry wheat bran.

Put your mixture into a ziploc bag (use more than one if necessary). Make sure you squeeze all the air out of the bag.

Seal the bags, place them in a dark container and let the microbes feast away. We’ll check back in on them in about 3 weeks.

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Bokashi culture canBe used in a cat’s litter box to get ridof stinky poo smells!

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finishing bokashi culture

Find your bag of Bokashi culture. What does it look like? Is there mold? If so, what color is it?

If your mold is white, the experiment worked! The bag should smell sour - like vinegar. If your mold is black, blue, or smells really gross, it didn’t work -- moisture must have gotten in.

Take all the bags that were successful (white mold, not too stinky), and empty the contents onto a tarp.

Break up any clumps. Let the wheat bran dry for a couple of days - just make sure that all of it is completely dry.

Once it’s dry, you’re ready to use it. Store all the Bokashi culture in an airtight, plastic container.

Remember that bag of Bokashi culture that you stashed in a closet 3 - 4 weeks ago? Time to finish it! We want to be able to use this for a long time so we have to make sure it’s dried out.

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Feeding Bokashi

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Pickled Bokashi scraps can also beadded to your compost tumler.

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Sprinkle a layer of Bokashi culture onto the drip tray.

Add your food waste and a layer of Bokashi culture between every three inches of food waste (can include meat and dairy).

Press down the food scraps with the provided plate or newspapers, close the container. Repeat steps 1-3 until the container is full.

Be sure to drain your Bokashi juice once or twice a week. You can pour it down your drains to keep them clean, or dilute it with water (1:100) and feed it to plants.

When the container is full, sprinkle the last layer of Bokashi culture, close the container, and let it sit for 2 weeks. Then bury the resulting pickled food below 6-8” of soil (outside or in a container). In 2-3 weeks, the soil should be ready for planting.

Bokashi is a simple way to compost food, using anaerobic bacteria to pickle the food waste, which breaks down very quickly after it is buried below a thick layer of soil or added to a compost tumbler.

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is vermicomposting, and how does it work?

OBJECTIVES:Students have the opportunity to observe a vermicompost device, and learn how to cultivate a beneficial organism.

TOPICS COVERED: Decomposition, macroorganisms, biodiversity, ecology

METHODS:Hands-on interaction; identification exercises; journaling

PROCEDURE:Begin by explaining what vermicompost is: the cultivation of earthworms for the harvesting of worm castings as a soil amendment. Explain that the castings are the worms’ excrement, and it is a form of compost that creates healthier, more nutritious soil. Explain that some food products are harmful to them (like citrus peels and salty food) and some take them a long time to eat (like banana peels).

Activities include instructional sheets for building a vermicompost device, maintaining it, and for feeding the worms. The activity “What’s on the Menu?” provides a method for the students to learn which foods to give to the worms, and serve as a handy reminder. Students should document the rate of ingestion of different foods as well as maintaining good moisture levels. It’s important that the bin stays warm, but does not get hot (between 50 - 80 degrees.

MATERIALS:Four worm bins are provided; more will require stackable plastic containers, shredded paper, and worms (which can be harvested from another bin)

MODIFICATIONS: Students can try feeding different foods, or chopping up food first. Be forewarned, food that sits around for a while, like banana peels, will attract fruit flies.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journals, graphing

COMPOST LAB: VERMICOMPOSTINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Making a Worm MenuWorms are pretty picky for decomposers. Help out your worms by knowing what to feed them, and make a menu to use as a guide that you can keep with your worm bin!

Fold a piece of paper (see “Recycle Paper!” to make your own!) in half. Write the name of your worm “Restauraunt” on the front cover. Add some decorations, too.On the inside, draw food corresponding to the below examples, or paste clippings from magazines or newspapers.On the back cover, put the “NO TIP” list: The worms don’t like these foods, and in some cases it’s bad for them.

Yum! (Foods worms love)BroccoliTomatoesLettuceSquashPeasPicklesBeansCabbageOther Soft Vegetables

Eww! (Foods worms hate)MeatBreadBanana peels (attracts flies)PotatoesOrange peelsRotting foodPeanutsOther tough or salty foods

What’s on the Menu?

Each pound of worms is about 1000 individual worms!

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Feeding Worms

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Worms come to the surface when it rains to find a mate, because it’s easier for them to move around.

Every time you feed your worms, put down a thin (1” or 2” or so) layer of bedding over the food scraps. Only once or twice a week, feed worms vegetable scraps like lettuce (refer to your Worm Menu). Avoid feeding the worms fruit, which attract fruit flies.

As the first bin (with holes) fills up, the second bin (with holes) can be placed on top---the worms will crawl up through the holes. Then put the fresh food/bedding layer in the new top bin.

When the second bin is almost full, it’s time to empty the bottom bin: sift through the rich castings, and any large pieces could be put back in the top bin or a regular compost pile. Repeat step number 2, exchaging the first and second bins.

Now you have worm castings. If they are still a bit wet and slimy, allow them to dry in the sun. These castings are used just like regular compost!

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Build A Worm Bin!

The most common worm for vermicompost is called the Red Wiggler

First, get three stackable plastic containers. They don’t have to be very deep [about 6”], but they do need to be wide. Punch about 10 or so 1/4” holes in the bottom of two and in one lid. Then take some moist shredded paper and put a 2” layer in the bottom of one bin with holes; place that bin in the one without holes, as below:

Next, add about one pound of worms per square foot of surface area. The lid should be kept on the bin in between feedings, and the worms need to be out of direct sunlight.

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What organisms are in the bin breaking down waste?

OBJECTIVES:After this lesson, students will be able to identify a number of decomposers that work with the worms to break down food waste.

TOPICS COVERED:

METHODS:Exploratory Investigation, Student Discussion

PROCEDURE:Teacher LedGuided Practice

MATERIALS:Fresh, “living” worm compostLaminated bingo sheetsPennies, beans, or other small items to mark bingo cardsTweezers, hand lenses, and/or sticks to explore worm compost

Pass out bingo cards to each child or pair of children. Place one large scoop of worm bin contents on a piece of newspaper and place on a table or the ground for a pair or small group of children to explore. Have children explore the worm bin contents and critters andfill in their bingo cards. Switch cards and continue playing.

MODIFICATIONS: To make this activity more challenging, add a quiz about decomposers and scavengers (http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/quiz11.htm, for example). Discuss the roles of thedifferent organisms that are at work in the compost bin, including microscopic bacteria.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: If microscopes are available, the exploration can include microscopic organisms. Students can journal about what they saw and learned.

WORM BIN BINGOINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

HOW TO PLAY:

Decomposers, bacteria, insects

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Worm Bin Bingo

Centipede

Red Worms

Mites

EarWig

Slug

Snail

Spider

Sow Bug

Larvae

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<BINGO CARDS---20 TOTAL: p. 52-73>

Worm Bin Bingo

Centipede

Red Worms

Mites

EarWig

Slug

Snail

Spider

Sow Bug

Larvae

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Worm Bin Bingo

Sow Bug

Earwig

Mold

Fruit Fly

Potworms

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Millipede

Snail

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Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

Snail

Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

SnailFungus Gnat

Potworms

Worm Bin Bingo

Slug

Red Worms

Mold

Ant

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Fly Larvae

Spider

Millipede

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Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

Snail

Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

SnailFungus Gnat Snail

Worm Bin Bingo

Slug

Potworms

Fungus

Centipede

Rove Beetle

Fungus Gnat

Worm Cocoon

Fly Larvae

Red Worms

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Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

Snail

Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

MMoldold

p

SnailFungus Gnat

Spider

Mold

Worm Bin Bingo

Snail

Spider

Springtail

Mold

Fruit Fly

Ant

Mites

Red Worms

Earwig

45

Worm Bin Bingo

Potworms

Sow Bug

Slug

Springtail

Centipede

Fungus

Red Worms

Earwig

Fungus Gnat

46

Worm Bin Bingo

Fruit Fly

Red Worms

Ant

Mites

Millipede

Sow Bug

Snail

Worm Cocoon

Spider

47

Worm Bin Bingo

Red Worms

Millipede

Fungus Gnat

Rove Beetle

Fly Larvae

Potworms

Slug

Mold

Earwig

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Worm Bin Bingo

Fungus

Snail

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mites

Rove Beetle

Ant

Springtail

Mold

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Worm Bin Bingo

Centipede

Rove Beetle

Fly Larvae

Sow Bug

Fruit Fly

Spider

Centipede

Potworms

Millipede Red Worms

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Worm Bin Bingo

Worm Cocoon

Rove Beetle

Fungus Gnat

Springtail

Mold

Fruit Fly

Potworms

Red Worms

Ant

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Worm Bin Bingo

Mites

Fungus Gnat

Sow Bug

Springtail

Snail

Fungus

Red Worms

Ant

Fruit Fly

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Worm Bin Bingo

Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

Snail

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Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

Snail

Millipede

Potworms

Fungus Gnat

Fungus

Worm Cocoon

Red Worms

Mold

Spider

SnailFungus Gnat

Worm Bin Bingo

Worm Cocoon

Larvae

Red Worms

Ant

Springtail

Mold

Snail

Fungus

Fruit Fly

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Worm Bin Bingo

Fungus Gnat

Potworms

Earwig

Sow Bug

Red Worms

Spider

Millipede

Rove Beetle

Mites

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Worm Bin Bingo

Red Worms

Sow Bug

Slug

Fungus Gnat

Ant

Rove Beetle

Mold

Centipede

Fungus

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Worm Bin Bingo

Slug

Red Worms

Larvae

Fruit Fly

Earwig

Springtail

Millipede

Mites

Centipede

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Worm Bin Bingo

Worm Cocoon

Spider

Potworms

Red Worms

Snail

Mites

Centipede

Fungus Gnat

Rove Beetle

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are some compost-related terms?

OBJECTIVES:Students will learn compost terminology and relate those terms to their own experiences.

TOPICS COVERED: Ecology, general science

METHODS:Identification

PROCEDURE:The three pages of compost vocabulary are structured in a way that presents the terms and then prompts the student to relate each one to their own experience. A word search is also as a reinforcing exercise.

MATERIALS:Worksheets (provided)

MODIFICATIONS: Students could be asked to describe compost using the vocabulary words.

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: worksheets

COMPOST VOCABULARYINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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DECOMPOSERS--Organisms that break down food, plants, wood, or paper. Eventually, it gets turned into compost and soil. What’s an example of a decomposer at work? __________________________________________

MICROORGANISMS--Organisms that are too small to see without a microscope, such as bacteria and fungus (well, you can see a bunch of bacteria or fungus together, but it’s like looking at a big crowd of people from an airplane--you can’t see any one person). Organisms that can be seen without a microscope are called Macroscopic. Give an example of a macroscopic organism

and a microscopic organism. _________________________________________

COMPOST--A soil-like material (it looks like dirt!) that can be added to soil to increase its nutrient value and health; it can also be used directly to plant in, just like soil. Plants get their “food” from the soil, so compost is like a multivitamin that isn’t made from expensive chemicals like regular fertilizer.

What could you use compost for at home? ________________________________________

CompostVocabulary

It takes the same energy to make 20 Recycled aluminum cans as It Does to make one new can!

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AEROBIC--Means “requiring air.” For compost, this means that the decomposers that make compost need oxygen to breathe. There are other decomposers, though, that don’t breathe air, these are called ANAEROBIC. Some anaerobic decomposers release unpleasant gases, like methane.

Rotting food smells pretty bad, so what kind of decomposers are probably at work?

__________________________________________

LANDFILL--A place where garbage gets dumped and then buried. The compaction of materials creates an anaerobic environment which releases methane and other gases. It takes years to break down the organic materials, and some things, like Styrofoam, never get broken down!

What’s one way to keep waste out of the landfills?

__________________________________________

TURNING--Turning compost is the process of adding air so the aerobic decomposers get oxygen. This can be done with a pitchfork in a large pile, or it can be done inside a compost tumbler, which is designed to make turning easier.

What’s something else that needs air to function?

__________________________________________

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CompostVocabulary

Sunlight, not organisms, decomposes plastic; that’s why it takes hundreds of years!

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VERMICOMPOSTING--The process of cultivating earthworms and using their castings, or excrement, as compost. The most common worms used are called Red Wigglers. Vermi- is a Latin root meaning “worm”.

What do you think would be important to have in a worm bin?

__________________________________________

BOKASHI--A Japanese method of composting food scraps that takes two steps: first, anaerobic (but not the rotting-food kind) microorganisms change the structure of the food scraps, then it all gets added to soil where more digesters eat the scraps really quickly. Bokashi can’t compost things like paper, but it can take eggshells and bones!

What are some parts of foods that you don’t eat?

__________________________________________

LEACHATE--Leachate is any liquid runoff that passes through material and carries solids or components from that material. It can be from the composting process, in which case it can be diluted and used as a soil additive. More often, it is refered to in the context of landfills and is highly toxic!

Can you think of something people throw away that could be toxic?

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CompostVocabulary

It takes over 634 gallons of water to make a single hamburger!

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Hidden in the puzzle below are words associated with composting. See how many you can find!

Word Search

M D A H U L P J Y X T E Q B I Q J Z M D M Y M R S O D Q Y B Y L D V C I D P O R I L A L O L E S E E C F P C V S E U W C A D D W C R M U G R Z A E N C N H G J C O M S E J Z C M E A D B O V C O M I D Z F H F O S F O C R P R X P C V P A B J T I K T Y L G P W O O G T J J I L A U I C A Z H A S M E M E N L S R U Z N J M U K E P K H G Y H N H N I Z A P V N R O S P M I I N G S V X D C S G S S O X C N Q J M B H V W O A Y M T L L G C P S D A E R O B I C F

DECOMPOSERS

MICROORGANISMS

COMPOST

AEROBIC

TURNING

VERMICOMPOST

BOKASHI

LEACHATE

LANDFILL

CASTING

Every hour, Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles!

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Hidden in the puzzle below are words associated with composting. See how many you can find!

Word Search

M D A H U L P J Y X T E Q B I Q J Z M D M Y M R S O D Q Y B Y L D V C I D P O R I L A L O L E S E E C F P C V S E U W C A D D W C R M U G R Z A E N C N H G J C O M S E J Z C M E A D B O V C O M I D Z F H F O S F O C R P R X P C V P A B J T I K T Y L G P W O O G T J J I L A U I C A Z H A S M E M E N L S R U Z N J M U K E P K H G Y H N H N I Z A P V N R O S P M I I N G S V X D C S G S S O X C N Q J M B H V W O A Y M T L L G C P S D A E R O B I C F

DECOMPOSERS

MICROORGANISMS

COMPOST

AEROBIC

TURNING

VERMICOMPOST

BOKASHI

LEACHATE

LANDFILL

CASTING

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION:Teach kids about vegetables and nutrients as they relate to colors.

OBJECTIVES:Students will learn about vegetables that many of them may never have seen before and learn the importance of eating a variety of colors through fruits and vegetables.

TOPICS COVERED:Nutrition, phytochemicals in plants

METHODS:Sensory experience; Identification exercises; journaling

PROCEDURE:This activity is based on Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” where he discovered that while most first graders can identify a chicken nugget or french fry, many have trouble figuring out what a potato or a tomato is - endemic to our nation’s health challenges. Bring a few vegetables for the kids, whole / raw or cooked. Try to pick vegetables (and/or fruits) that kids might enjoy (sweet potatoes, avocado, jicama, blackberries, beets, ec.) and pick one from each color group: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and white. Have them guess what it is and use their journals to make observations using all senses, including taste. Ask if they have any allergies before having them taste the foods. The leftover food can be used for the “Let it Rot” activity. The follow-up to sensory experience involves the “Eating Colors” worksheet. They can try to identify the fruits and vegetables on the sheet, take it home, quiz their parents, and use it as a “passport” where they mark it off if they eat it at home.

MATERIALS:Assorted fruits and vegetables (cooked and whole / raw) and Eating Colors Worksheet (provided)

MODIFICATIONS:Students could research the phytochemicals that create the different colors in the plants, create a journal about the different fruits and vegetable that they like and look for patterns (i.e. preference for orange plants).

ASSESSMENT / OBSERVATION / REPORTING:Journals, observation, worksheet

WEIRD VEGETABLESINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Nutrients and colorsThe Zero Waste crew wants to help you eat healthy foods. First they’re going to quiz you on some strange foods and then we’ll talk about the color of each food. The different colors in plants are caused by phytochemicals, and each one does something special for your body’s health.

Guess the name of each of the vegetables that your teacher has provided.

Use your journal to describe the qualities of each vegetable. How does it feel? What does it smell like? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Do you like it? Have you had it before?

With your “Eating Colors” worksheet, try to name as many of the fruits and vegetables as you can. Circle the ones that you’ve eaten before. Take it home to see if your family has any of the items in your kitchen. See if your parents or family can name all of the items on the worksheet.

Weird Vegetables

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There are more than 12,000 phytochemicals in nature. Eating colorful fruits and veggies helps you stay healthy.

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Eating green

Green foods have SULFORAPHANE and INDOLES, which:*are good for the circulatory system*have lots of vitamin B and minerals*help with vision, strong bones and teeth, and cancer prevention

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Eating orange

Orange foods have CAROTENOIDS, which: *help repair DNA, prevent cancer and heart disease, & strengthen vision *have lots of vitamin A, which is good for eyes and skin, and helps the immune system

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Eating Purple

Purple foods have ANTHOCYANINS and PHENOLICS, which:*Are known for having “anti-aging” properties; may improve memory*Help improve circulation, prevent blood clots, help heart function

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Eating red

Red foods have CAROTENOIDS and ANTHOCYANINS, which:*Are good for preventing heart disease, cancer, and prostate problems*Help reduce skin damage from the sun and improve memory function

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Eating white

Whitish / greenish foods in this group have ALLICIN, which: *Has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties*May prevent cancer and heart disease and help lower cholesterol, and improve heart health

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Eating yellow

Yellow foods are high in ANTIOXIDANTS like vitamin C, which: *helps keep our teeth and gums healthy, heals cuts, improves the mucus

membranes (like when you have a cold)*Helps with iron absorbtion, prevents inflammation, improves circulation

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does soil type affect growth in plants?

OBJECTIVES:This activity which is often employed in classrooms to grow seedlings, is formatted to teach children how different types of soil may affect the growth process in plants.

You may divide your students into groups as needed for this activity.

STANDARDS: Biology/ScienceMath

METHODS:Student Participation/Discussion

PROCEDURE:Teacher Led

MATERIALS: * 3 milk cartons * 3 types of soil (below) * radish, bean, or corn seeds * scissors

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Journaling and graphs. Ask students what they think of the soil quality in their neighborhoods.

SCRAPPLE AND THE BEANSTALKINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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Scrapple’s been trying to figure out how she and her food friends can grow to be bigger and healthier. The problem is, she doesn’t know in what kind of soil she would thrive in! She has devised an experiment for you to help her out...

Cut off the top of the milk cartons to make planters from the bottom half. Ask your teacher for assistance.

Fill the cartons with soil.- Plant "A" has compost soil.- Plant "B" has top soil found in your neighborhood or backyard. - Plant "C" has store bought potting soil.

Push the seed down with your finger until they are at least 2cm below the surface. Water the soil with the same amount in each carton.

Scrapple and the beanstalk

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Soil scientists have identified over 70,000 kinds of soil in the United States!

4During 5-10 days, the seeds should germinate and sprout. After seeds appear, divide the cartons into 3 groups to test growing conditions.

Which seed sprouted faster? which one is healthier? Record your observations.

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Garbage Pizza

On average, Americans generate 4.5 pounds of trash every day. That’s 1500 pounds per year!

Cut out the pizza circle from the red paper.

Glue the pizza on a cardboard plate. With a brown crayon or marker, color in the crust. Glue samples of the trash or garbage to the pizza slices in your chart. When you’re finished, display your pizza!

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Make a Garbage PizzaIt may be hard to imagine how much of each type of trash is buried in landfills, but it’s easier to visualize if you make a pie chart showing the percentages. You can create a model by making a trash pizza covered with actual solid waste that is thrown away. Your pizza will have “everything” on it. You wouldn’t want to eat this pizza, but it will help you become more aware of the amount of trash Americans throw away and the composition of our landfills.

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ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How is paper recycled?

OBJECTIVES: Students will recycle their own paper, in a method similar to industrial methods.

TOPICS COVERED: Technology

METHODS: Hands-on activity, possible experimentation

PROCEDURE: The “Recycle Paper!” handout contains instructions tor the students. Explain that paper is made from wood fibers and glue, and to recycle paper those fibers must be separated and glued back together again. Depending on the end use of the paper, the students can experiment and mix different colors and weights, but for writing paper white paper with little ink is the best. If a blender is available, it helps to shred the paper (in water) but is not necessary.

MATERIALS: Scissors, glue, a metal sieve, a bucket/tub, warm water, a flat, non-porous surface (plastic, cookie sheet, etc)

MODIFICATIONS: Students could try different colors and weights, or different thicknesses. Decorations could be added to the paper as well

ASSESSMENT/OBSERVATION/REPORTING: Students may use the paper for their journals

RECYCLE PAPERINSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES

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First, get some paper. You can collect scrap paper, or see “Recycle Paper!” to make your own. In any case, you’ll want similar-size sheets of paper. These will be your pages.

Next, find some cardboard. You’ll need two pieces that are a little larger than your paper folded in half. These will be your covers.

Fold your paper in half and decorate your covers as you see fit.

Now it’s time to bind your journal. You can use staples, string, old shoelaces, ribbon, glue... Make a fold about a centimeter from one edge (the “spine”) of each cover, and attach the folded pages at the fold. Enjoy your new journal!

Now look for fabric, or paper with patterns on it, or even wallpaper that can cover up one side of each of your cover materials. Of course, if you have something cool for a cover already, you can skip this step. You can also find things to attach to your covers, like beads.

Zero Waste Log

A 15-year-old tree can supply enough paper for 700 paper bags!

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How do other cities deal with their Waste?This is a writing and research activity to learn how other cities deal with their waste.

How does your city recycle?

What other major cities recycle? What items do these cities recycle? Are any of these cities composting?

Does recycling change in different countries? How are people recycling in Cairo? How are people recycling in cities in South America? What city is the best recycler?

Waste Management

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In the united states 1,500 aluminum cans are recycled every second

Waste MattersFor background on this guide as well as an electronic version of the booklet see:www.archeworks.org/wastematters

One DropA three week after-school curriculum designed to engage the next generation in waster conservation.http://onedrop.movingdesign.com/#

Virtual WaterThe Virtual Water Project would like to show the world how much freshwater is used to produce products.http://www.virtualwater.eu/ Garbage DreamsAn independent film that highlights recycling efforts in Cairo and in American cities.http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/garbage-dreams/game.html

Bokashi ResourcesNeed help with your effective microorganism? Here is a series of websites that provide background on Bokashi.http://www.composterconnection.com/site/bokashi.htmlhttp://www.bokashicycle.com/howitworks.htmlhttp://akbiosoil.com/index.html

Vermicomposting Resourceshttp://www.recycleworks.org/compost/wormfood.html

The Greater Victoria Compost Education CenterA non-profit education center that aims to provide composting and gardening education programming.http://www.compost.bc.ca/

Vegan Nutritionista

http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/index.html

Additional Resources

Nutrition background on common fruits and vegetables, recipes, and a blog.

Archeworks Agri-Gate Team:

Lindsay BanksLuis GarciaEric HeinemanJared LauridsenMichelle RuizPhilip SyvertsenMeredith Vlahakis

Facilitators:

Catherine MullerMason PritchettRyan Wilson

Special thanks to Katie Vail for her editing talents.