What+is+Biodegradable?


 * What is Biodegradeable? **


 * Concepts taught**: Not all the things that are thrown away will decompose when buried. There are many things that are made up of material that stays in our environment for a very long time.


 * Objective**: After this lesson, students will learn about the materials that nature can't recycle in soil. Students will be able to predict on what materials will decompose and which would not. They will also predict their decomposition rates.

1. You will need 10 pieces of each of the following: glass paper steel or other metal plastic apple,lettuce, or other fruit or vegetable. 2. 10 containers (could be jars or flowerpots) 3. soil (from a garden) 4. sterile potting mix 5. labels
 * Materials**:

1. biodegradation 2. decomposition 3. microorganism
 * Vocabulary words**:


 * Background**: Have you ever thought about where our waste goes? Most of our waste decomposes within time. If everything existed forever, we would be buried in our waste. Yet, there are some waster products that can last for thousands of years.

1. Show the students a piece of glass, paper, metal, plastic, and food. Ask the students to predict which of these things are biodegradable. Explain the term biodegradable means capable of rotting or decomposing. Write down the students predictions so that after the experiment the students can see if their predictions were correct. 2. Now it is time to begin the experiment. Fill five of the containers half ways full with soil and fill the other five containers with half ways full with sterile potting mix. In all of the containers, place a piece of each type of waste and then continue to fill the container with soil or the potting mix. Then add enough water to all the containers so that the soil or sterile mix is damp but not wet to the touch. Label the containers with it's contents. Make sure the label has the type of waste in it or whether it is soil or sterile potting mic. 3. Wait about a week then examine the waste in each of the containers. Check to see which wastes are decomposing. Cover the containers and continue to check them once a week for however long you want. Make sure to record the observations. 4. After the desired time, go back to the original predictions and draw conclusions about what materials are biodegradables and under what conditions.
 * Procedure**:

Lesson Plan from http://www.solidwastedistrict.com/lessons/what_is_biodegradable.htm