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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Worms! Nature's Recyclers

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Our Friends or Foes

For Students 6th
In this living organisms worksheet, 6th graders choose the multiple choice answer to 10 questions. Students then read and answer 10 statements as true or false and fill in the blanks to 5 statements.
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PPT
Curated OER

Nutrient Cycling

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
AP environmental science or college-level ecology classes will glean a tremendous amount of information on nutrient cycles from this detailed PowerPoint. It covers nutrient requirements, biogeochemcial cycles, decomposition rates, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case of the Missing Pumpkin

For Teachers K - 6th
Scientists define and discuss decomposition, and watch pumpkins decompose and return to soil in classroom experiment. They record the date the experiment began, chart changes in pumpkins on a calendar, count how many days it takes...
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Interactive3:12
Scholastic

Study Jams! The Nitrogen Cycle

For Students 5th - 9th Standards
Expose your class to the steps of the nitrogen cycle with this short clip. Colorful computer imagery and animation explain how nitrogen travels from the atmosphere as a gas into plants and soil, where bacteria convert it into nitrates....
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
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PPT
Biology Junction

Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Can an area with no soil turn into a forest? Scholars learn about the process of ecological succession using an interesting presentation. It covers both primary and secondary succession in the building of new ecosystems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Nitrogen Cycle

For Teachers 5th
The nitrogen cycle is the focus of a well-designed science lesson plan. In it, learners see that plants and animals produce waste products and decompose after death. Many of the waste products include nitrogen which is absobed by other...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soak It Up

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Young scholars examine the various materials that make up their local soils. In groups, they record how each material is different and use cheesecloth to filter them into a bottle based on particle size. They use the soils to determine...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decomposers at Work!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students design and conduct investigations that illustrate the process of decomposition. After a lecture/demo, students simulate the process of soil composting in the classroom. They closely chart the decomposition of their soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Selecting Soil Organisms in Compost

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Students demonstrate that many of the enzyme systems needed to break down--and therefore clean up-society's wastes already exist in nature among the decomposers. They select the best starch-munching organisms by altering the environment...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decomposing Artifacts

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders participate in an experiment in which they calculate the time of decomposition of different materials. In groups, they fill bags with different materials and cover them in soil. After six months, they create a line graph...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Rot or Not!

For Teachers K - 1st
Students discover that composting helps reduce landfill waste and is good for the soil. They explore the techniques of composting through a variety of media, art activities and hands-on experience.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Worms, Nature's Recyclers!

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students study what worms need to survive in different environments. They study how worm composting improves soil and reduce waste. They discuss composting techniques and present a puppet show about a worm's life.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Quality Issues

For Teachers 9th - 11th
In this unit of lessons, students examine land quality issues. They discover food chains and practice reading them. They also examine the erosion of soil and how it affects the environment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decomposers- Nurse Logs

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Pupils investigate temperate forest ecosystems. In this environmental lesson, students discover different forms of decomposition and its effect on the environment.
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Mighty Microorganisms

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
How can you tell if a microorganism is helpful or detrimental to an ecosystem? Learners inspect slides or pictures of microorganisms and record their observations to identify those that are beneficial or harmful. They then pretend to...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Living & Non-Living Interactions

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
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Activity
National Wildlife Federation

Habitat Web

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Young scientists weave together an understanding of ecosystems with this fun collaborative activity. Taking on the roles of different living and non-living elements of specific habitats, learners use a ball of yarn to create the web of...
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Handout
2
2
Kentucky School for the Deaf

Levels of Organization within an Ecosystem

For Students 5th - 10th Standards
From tiny organisms to entire biomes, young scientists examine the interdependent relationships tying all living and non-living things together with this collection of ecology resources.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The good microbes

For Students 3rd - 5th
The question posed for the class to consider; What would decay and what would not? They read the short passage on decomposition and microbes, then mark the items that would decay after a two-week period. A scientific investigation idea...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Worm Composting: Vermiculture

For Teachers 1st - 8th
Students compost in a limited space and describe the decomposing process. Students convert unwanted, organic matter, particularly food scraps and paper into fertile soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Macaroni Lab

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners are given an introduction to the "ecosystem", what factors make up an ecosystem (biotic factors, abiotic factors, food chain, producers, consumers and decomposers) and how those factors interact.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case of the Missing Pumpkin

For Teachers K - 8th
Students explore the process of decomposition. In this science lesson, students carve a pumpkin and observe as it decomposes. Students compare the changes to an uncarved pumpkin. Students write about the disappearing pumpkin.

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