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Decomposers aren’t usually the most Grades 3-5 featured part of a web but they connect the food chain and keep the nutrient and cycle flowing.

Brought to you by Dynamic Decomposers Grades 3-5 Materials: • Paper • Copies of “trash” cards • Z-Grip Retractable Ballpoint and • Materials for “ Bottles” Z-Grip Mechanical Pencil in activity description below • Zebra Cadoozles 0.9mm pencil

Background: • Decomposers are what is referred to as the FBI (, , and Invertebrates) • They break down plant and animal material and return nutrients to the soil – aka “’s recycle team”. • Decomposers aren’t usually the most featured part of a but they connect the food chain and keep the nutrient and energy cycle flowing. • For a cool video on decomposition, check out: http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.oate.decompose/decomposers/ • For a great book about decomposition and composting, check out “Worms Eat My Garbage” by Mary Appelhof. Activities: • Discuss the important role of decomposers and decomposition in a food chain and food web. • Review the importance of the recycling of nutrients back into the . • Have your students list decomposers they know of (worms, pillbugs, millipedes, etc) and discuss what they eat. • One cool way we can be conservationists is to keep waste out of landfills. One way we can do this is by composting! • Activity: “Sorting Through the Trash”: • Create a variety of laminated photos of a variety of typical trash items, being sure to include food. Working in pairs or groups, have students sort their photos into 3 categories: 1. Landfill (Ex: plastic wrappers, chip bags, dairy, paper towels, sandwich bags, etc) 2. Recycling (Ex: cardboard pieces, paper, plastic bottles, glass jars, batteries, light bulbs, aluminum cans, etc) 3. Compost (Ex. Fruits, vegetables, bread, egg shells, used tea bags, yard clippings, etc) • Discuss with the whole class why sorting trash properly is a good conservation behavior. • Either in your conservation scenario groups or one per student, have students create “Decomposition Bottles” either for the classroom or to take home. • *Optional Extension activity: • You can turn the Decomposition Bottles into a year-long/semester long science project by: • Designating bottles so only certain compostable items are placed in it. (i.e. one with everything, only fruit in one, only bread in another, etc) and see what kind of compost you create. Have your students research compost facts and information before designating bottles and creating hypotheses.

Web of : Decomposition Bottles adapted from an activity in Bottle by Mrill Ingram, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1993

Materials: • 2-Liter soda bottles with lids (2 per student) scissors • Permanent marker • Knife • Masking tape or packing tape

Before the Project: Web of Life Decomposition Bottles 1. Draw lines on 2-Liter soda bottles as shown (Figure 1). Half of the bottles should have a line around the top (belowadapted the “shoulder”) from an activity in Bottle Biology and half should have a line on the bottom (below the “hip”)by .Mrill Ingram, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1993 2. Use an X-acto knife or other knife to make a small slit on the line, so students can get their scissors in to cut the bottles. Supplies 2-Liter soda bottles with lids (2 per student) Making the Columns: scissors Sharpie or other permanent marker 1. Students should take one of each bottle, and cut on the line.knife 2. Take the lid off of the bottle that was cut on the bottom. TurnMasking this bottletape orupside-down packing tape and place it in the lower part of the other bottle (Figure 2). Tape. 3. Find a bunch of cool stuff to put in your decomposition bottle.Before Add the a littleproject soil from the earth (not from a store) to help get things started (earth soil contains decomposers!) 1) Draw lines on 2-Liter soda bottles as shown (Figure 1). Half of the bottles should 4. The top piece that you have left will be the lid. Web of Life have a line around the top (below the “shoulder”) and half should have a line on the Decomposition Bottles 5. Add leftovers from your lunch (apple cores, banana or orangebottom peels, (below etc.). the Do “hip”)not add . meat (stinky!). Add many different things that you think may break2) Use down. an DoX-acto they knife all break or othe downr knife to make a small slit on the line, so students can get adapted from an activity in Bottle Biologyat the same rate? Do you see any decomposers moving intheir your scissors column? inHave to cut fun! the bottles. by Mrill Ingram, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1993

Supplies Making the columns 2-Liter soda bottles with lids (2 per student) 1) Students should take one of each bottle, and cut on the line. scissors 2) Take the lid off of the bottle that was cut on the bottom. Turn Sharpie or other permanent marker this bottle upside-down and place it in the lower part of the other knife bottle (Figure 2). Tape. Masking tape or packing tape 3) Find a bunch of cool stuff to put in your decomposition bottle. Add a little soil from the earth (not from a store) to help get things Before the project started (earth soil contains decomposers!) 4) The top piece that you have left will be the lid. 1) Draw lines on 2-Liter soda bottles as shown (Figure 1). Half of the bottles should have a line around the top (below the “shoulder”) and half should have a line on the bottom (below the “hip”) . 2) Use an X-acto knife or other knife to make a small slit on the line, so students can get 5) Add leftovers from your lunch (apple cores, banana or orange peels, etc.). Do not their scissors in to cut the bottles. add meat (stinky!). Add many different things that you think may break down. Do the all break down at the same rate? Do you see any decomposers moving in your column? Have fun! Making the columns 1) Students should take one of each bottle, and cut on the line. 2) Take the lid off of the bottle that was cut on the bottom. Turn this bottle upside-down and place it in the lower part of the other bottle (Figure 2). Tape. 3) Find a bunch of cool stuff to put in your decomposition bottle. Add a little soil from the earth (not from a store) to help get things started (earth soil contains decomposers!) 4) The top piece that you have left will be the lid.

5) Add leftovers from your lunch (apple cores, banana or orange peels, etc.). Do not add meat (stinky!). Add many different things that you think may break down. Do the all break down at the same rate? Do you see any decomposers moving in your column? Have fun!