This past week in 1st grade, we began exploring the idea of composting. Composting is a natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material (such as leaves, grass, fruit and vegetable scraps) into a rich soil amendment known as compost. Not only does composting help us reduce the amount of trash that we throw away and the risks of further polluting the air, land and water, but composting is also an easy way to get some excellent – and free – fertilizer for the garden!
Many organic and natural materials can be composted. Grass cuttings, leaves, flowers and vegetable scraps can all be composted, as can fruit scraps and peels, leftover table scraps and egg shells, coffee grounds and stale bread. Paper, cardboard, sawdust, animal manure and seaweed can also be composted. First graders learned about the special “recipe” needed when making a compost bin. You must have more “brown” layers (leaves, sawdust, mulch) than “green” layers (fruits, veggies, flowers). The layers must also be alternated, starting with a brown layer on the bottom. Decomposers, such as worms, bacteria, and fungi, play an important part of the composting recipe as well. This is how the organic materials get turned into that nutrient rich soil!
To bring composting to life, we made a delicious composting treat in the classroom! We followed the special recipe needed to make actual compost but traded out the organic materials for something a little bit tastier 🙂 Below, you can see a close up example of what we made, as well as a photo of your kiddo enjoying their compost!