http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/duk_/lessons/duk_landfill_music_less/duk_landfill_music_less.xmllessontext/xmlEngineering K-Ph.D. Program, biodegradablesoilcompostlandfillLandfillDecomposeCompostOrganic MatterInorganic MatterBiodegrade

Students investigate what types of materials biodegrade in the soil, and learn what happens to their trash after they throw it away. The concepts of landfills and compost piles will be explained, and the students will have an opportunity to create their own miniature landfill in which the difference between organic and inorganic waste will become clear.

Waste management engineers use the process of biodegredation to minimize the amount of space that landfills take up. By burying layers of trash with other layers of soil, all existing waste is compressed under weight from above. For organic matter to decompose, however, aerobic bacteria, which needs to be exposed to air, is required. Thus, large machines are used to churn up and aerate top layers, allowing the organic matter that is present to decompose. Explain what the term "biodegrade" means, and come up with a loose explanation of how the process works. Identify whether a certain object can biodegrade or not. Explain the difference between organic and inorganic materials. Explain how engineers apply what they know to facilitate waste management. 2TeachEngineering.orgRoarke Horstmeyerhttp://www.thisland.uiuc.edu/57ways/57ways_31.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_materialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_materialS10283A0North_CarolinaScience2.05 Determine how composting can be used to recycle discarded plant and animal material.33S10283A1North_CarolinaScience2.06 Determine the relationship between heat and decaying plant matter in a compost pile.33United StatesCopyright 2012 - Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke Universityhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2008-09-263Teacher