Biodegradable?
added 3-18-98 Submitted
by: Fran
This
activity can be used to illustrate how items can be broken down and how some
items cannot. You may want to do this ahead of time, before your Earth Day
unit.
Items needed:
styrofoam cup
plastic sandwich bag
cotton swab (Q-Tip)
apple cores
packing peanut
piece of bread
or any items that you know will break down and items that won't break down
Choose an area of the school
grounds for the children to bury some of the things found in the classroom
garbage. Have the children predict what will happen to each item. Write
their answers down and keep them to refer to later. Bury the items in the
ground and keep the area moist. Dig up the items each week to check on their
progress. Discuss the predictions when you have finished. You may want to
mark the area that you have dug. Perhaps a sign indicating ecologists at
work would be nice.
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