Rough Draft of Script Pt 2

Over a two week period, one class of fourth graders took recycling into their own hands. They cut down on the trash in the school’s cafeteria by composting. Composting is often referred to as nature’s way of recycling. It is the biological process of breaking down organic waste. Instead of just throwing all of their food waste away after lunch, the students saved it and brought it back to class. They brought food waste such as banana peels, apple cores, and other organic waste materials, and placed them in the compost. Fifteen minutes a day were allotted to place the items in the compost, write up a description of the item or items they placed in the compost and why they could place those items in the compost pile. Next, they placed a tally on the board under the correct category. As a class, the students decided to classify the waste items into three categories: fruits, vegetables, and other. After all the students were done placing their tallies on the board under the correct categories, the teacher would find the total for each category daily.

At the end of the two week period, each student used Excel to create a table and graph of the class data. They wanted to see what area they cut down on the most waste. During this unit, they not only learned the importance of recycling, but also developed their inquiry analysis and communication skills, in the areas of both math and science. Many different disciplines were combined into this unit, including National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation.

This project started as just one class, but the hope is that this idea will catch on with the rest of the school. What a difference an entire school could make by composting.