Do It Yourself!

Crafting is one of my favorite hobbies, and I decided to bring it into the classroom! A wonderful component of composting is how easy and accessible it is. The morning of this activity, I walked into the classroom with a tote full of mason jars clinking around and about 20 rubber bands in an old Altoids can. The way I presented my materials was intentional on multiple levels. One, the tote bag is reusable and is far better for the environment than a plastic bag. Two, the jars are glass rather than plastic. Glass is more durable and reusable than plastic. Additionally, the jars came from a neighbor which helped involve the community in the project. Three, the rubber bands came from the corners of junk drawers galore. Four, the container for the rubber bands was being reused for another purpose beyond mints. A common trend among these factors is that I spent $0. No joke! This activity for 12 kids came from materials that I found and utilized. No additional purchases necessary. Easy and accessible.

Anyway, we first each got a mason jar and wrote our names on them. We then went into the courtyard to collect some school soil. Afterwards, we went to our compost bin and put one or two items in our jars. We returned to the classroom and placed a paper towel over the opening and secured it with a rubber band. Finally, we poked holes in the top to allow air to go in and out of the jar. Once we finished we talked about decomposition and different things we can use compost for. We also discussed what factors affect the process of decomposition and how we can aid that progress through proper procedures. These jars went home with each student to be added to. Having them take the jars home introduces the concept of composting to their parents and siblings, allows them to retell and explain what they learned, and gives each student a sense of responsibility outside of the classroom.

This activity is a great way to introduce younger students and children to the concept of composting and decomposition! It lets them get their hands dirty, lets them choose what they want in their jars, and lets them have a role in the saving of our environment.