Composting with Kids!

Katie HunterDallas Cabrices

Shaneika Edmond

What is Composting?

• Composting is an environmentally-friendly practice that involves the breaking down of materials to a natural state.

• Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste in landfills, while also creating more nutrient-rich soil for plant growth.

Community Context

Barrow Elementary• Green School Program (places emphasis on

environmental education).• Impact of school practices on global

community.

4th Grade Gifted • Enrichment opportunity to extend learning of

life sciences beyond the standards.• Inquiry Based Learning

Community Need

• Lack of land space on school campus.

- Symbolic of waste on a

global scale.

• As part of a Green School Program, promoting environmental education and responsibility is a priority.

Service

• Raise awareness about environmentally-friendly practices.

• Encourage composting as an alternative and natural method of recycling.

Reflection

Students have explored composting as natural method of

waste recycling and have participated in their own composting program.

Assessment/Evaluation

What do you know about

Service-Learning?

 What do you know about composting?

Participant Learning

• Terminology• Decomposition

Experiments• Composting recipe

cards• Compost bottles• Sorting Activity• Worm Bin• Bin Clean-Up

• Throughout the project, the students partook in experiments to discover what happens during composting. From these

experiences, the students created their own knowledge and then worked together to share this new knowledge with

others.

http://animoto.com/play/us2Q4vjs0rhewqt9JlJJhQ

Celebration• - Celebrate all that we have explored and

learned• "Compost-Friendly" Food- Fruit and Veggie

Trays.

• - Make Dirt Cups with pudding, oreos, and gummi worms

• - Showcase student work

Recognition/Publicity

•Barrow Television (BTV)

•Assembly Awards

•Newspaper article

•Letters to local community members.

ConclusionHow has our understanding of the community changed as result of participation in project in service and learning?

What difference has the project made for us?- Finding out how composting really does make a difference at a local and nation-wide level.-How the kids are genuinely interested and the new perspectives that can carry on into their everyday lives as future adults.-Providing rich experiences and exploring learning opportunities with creative and brilliant children is personally rewarding.    ... for the participants (kids)    -Kids see themselves as vital part of helping out community.     -Learning unique and innovative ways to compost, and becoming                 educated about the process and its positive effects.    ... for the community?    -being influenced by students' taking eco-active initiative in             community.    -community gains compost for local gardens, etc.

The End