• This lesson plan provides instructions for a composting experiment that investigates the decomposition of organic and inorganic waste. 
• Students will gather materials, observe how they decompose over time, differentiate between natural and human-made products, explain the difference in decomposition rates between the two, and explain the importance of composting to reduce landfill waste. 
• This resource includes a student worksheet to help students collect data, extension activities, and discussion questions.

Positives

• This experiment is a great way for students to observe the process of decomposition.
• The step-by-step instructions are clear and easy to follow.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• To view this lesson plan, teachers need to download the PDF file. To download the file, educators must provide an email address. 
• Materials needed for this activity include 1/2 gallon plastic milk jugs with caps, scissors, masking tape or duct tape, soil from outside with no worms or bugs, compostable items, and spoons. 
• This experiment takes about 3 weeks, so teachers should plan accordingly. 
• The link to instructions for vermicomposting on page 5 is broken.

Differentiation

• Teachers can create a word wall with pictures and definitions of vocabulary words such as decomposition, composting, organic waste, and inorganic waste.
• Teachers can use the provided student worksheet or science notebooks to help students collect data as they observe the different stages of decomposition. Using a digital camera or an instant camera, students can add pictures of the compost jugs to their notes. 
• At the end of the experiment, teachers can assess student learning by doing the activity in the Measuring Learning section. Students can choose to make a persuasive flyer or a digital presentation. 
• Similar resources include this digital picture book about waste disposal, this timelapse video of a worm-based compost bin, and this video about food waste and the climate. 

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.