M6-L4 Composting at school

Composting at school

ECO-SMART

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

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Implementation

Composting at school

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

ANNEX 1 :

• To understand the reuse of waste
• Learning about the compost process
• Learning about sustainable environmental practices

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

ANNEX 1 :

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

• Behaviour and consequences towards waste management: What can you do at home?
• Educating the community on collective responsibility of waste management in the school
• Analyze segregated waste quantities

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

ANNEX 1 :

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

A detailed guide for this activity can be found in the following link:

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

ANNEX 1 :

Annexes

• Waste audits ( Compost Quality )

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

ANNEX 1 :

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

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5

Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

• Scales
• Buckets to collect the food scraps, tissue, paper, etc.
• Clipboard for the record sheets
• Sawdust
• Cloth rags

ANNEX 1 :

Annexes

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

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5

Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Composting at school

ANNEX 1 :

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Annexes

2 hours

ECOSMART CONCEPTUAL MAP

Step 1

Step 2

1 hour a day

Instructions step by step

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Intersecting objectives

Purpose/ Learning objective

Facilitation

Ideas for follow-up

Resources required

Source/The day of the lesson: Materials & Class prep.

6

Implementation

Composting at school

Prior Lesson:

Make sure the students are familiar with bio and non-bio degradable matter. From the first lesson they should know the conditions needed for a biodegradable/compostable material to actually biodegrade.

Setting up a compost site in the school:

• First thing to do is to define roles and responsibilities.
• Designate the classes to be the Compost Keepers. They should empty the food scraps daily, monitor the piles, and take measurements (Annex 1).
• Designate a staff member to check on the compost pile, add amendments, turn over piles regularly and add to the Green -house or the garden when needed.

Check with the students the daily tasks:

1. Collect Food Scraps

2. Weigh Food

3. Transport Food Scraps Outside

4. Take Compost Temperature

5. Spread Food Scraps

6. Layer with Bulking Material

7. Clean Up

COMPOST PREPARATION:

1. Place a sign above compost buckets that show students what to compost. Some food service staff use a small white board to write what lunch items can be composted each day.

2. Students scrape ALL food scraps and servillets into the buckets

3. Weigh food scraps by placing a bucket on a scale and subtracting the weight of the container. Record the amount to show savings in the disposal of solid wastes produced by the cafeteria. The weights can also be used to construct math problems or track the composting operation.

4. A designated staff or a group of students to take the buckets to the compost pile outside.

5. Take the compost temperature by placing the long probe into the center of the compost pile. Record the reading. If the temperature has dropped, decomposition has taken place or the balance of the compost needs to be adjusted.

6. Spread the food scraps onto the pile, do not pile them high.

7. Follow the specific recipe designed for your site and layer with the bulking material recommended (wood chips, wood shavings, leaves or hay). Spread with a pitchfork to cover the food completely. This will make it less attractive to animals.

8. Adjust your trash pickup schedule accordingly to reflect the diversion of food scraps and recycling. Be sure to monitor cost change to keep track of the monetary value of composting.

ANNEX 1 :