Compost Pile Science Projects
A compost pile is a great way to reuse scraps of fruits and vegetables, old newspapers, leaves and plant cuttings. These elements decompose and combine to create a rich dark soil called compost that is wonderful for flower and vegetable gardens. Composting reduces the amount of natural waste that would otherwise end up being thrown away. Composting is an excellent topic for a variety of science projects that can be completed at home or at school.
Other People Are Reading
-
Which Items will Decompose?
-
Line a large trash can with a trash bag. Shovel in soil, leaves, grass clippings, newspaper, and scraps of fruits and vegetables. Sprinkle the pile with water. Use a shovel and mix the ingredients up. Let the compost sit for two days and mix again. Drop in a plastic bottle, banana peel, paper bag, and a steel can. Cover with the compost mixture. Let the compost mixture sit outside for one month. Each week, mix it up using a shovel. Spread out some garbage bags, and dump the compost out. Wear gloves and sift through looking for the original items that you dropped in to the bin. Take pictures of each item and record changes that have occurred over the month. Draw conclusions about which items would biodegrade easily in a landfill and which should be recycled instead.
Does Compost Grow Bigger Plants?
-
Gather bean seeds and three cups to plant seeds in. Label one cup "Topsoil," another cup "Compost" and the third cup "Mixture." Fill each cup two-thirds of the way with topsoil, compost and mixture, respectively, and plant a bean seed in each one. Water each of the plants and place them in a sunny location. Observe the growth of the plants over several weeks by taking photographs and measurements. Determine if one type of soil seems to grow a better plant. Be sure to water the plants whenever the soil is dry.
-
What Happens in a Compost Pile?
-
Prepare two large glass mixing bowls. Add topsoil to one of the bowls and compost to the other bowl about one-fourth full. Mix a small layer of organic material, such as shredded paper and fruit peels, in to the compost. Take a long thermometer and stick it in to the middle of each bowl. Record the temperature of the soil in each bowl. Place two earthworms in each bowl. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap with holes poked in it. Spray each bowl with water every other day. Observe the bowls for one week's period and record the temperature each day. Compare the results. Predict what caused the temperature difference.
Observing a Compost Pile
-
Bring a notebook, shovel, magnifying glass, and camera to observe a compost pile that has been in place and in use for at least six months. Take a large shovelful of compost from the top, middle, and bottom of the pile and compare and contrast what is seen at each depth.
-
References
- Photo Credit terre image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com
