Soil from Spoiled: Engineering a Compost Habitat for Worms
A unique activity for young learners that combines engineering and biology, students design an optimal environment for red wiggler worms in a compost bin using the engineering design process. Students learn about living and non-living things, the habitat of red wigglers, how red wigglers help convert organic waste into soil, as well as composting in nature and as a sustainable practice.
Feeling soil made from composting!Copyright 2015 Max Leszed, CC BY-SA 2.0, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/leszed/23470958752
Environmental engineers are tasked with innovating ways to combat environmental issues with sustainable, practical solutions. Environmental engineers work towards reducing waste and pollution, protecting and maintaining clean air, water, and soil, as well as finding methods to combat the effects of natural or human activities. Composting, the natural process in which organic waste decomposes into rich fertilizer, offers a sustainable solution for many of these concerns and can be easily performed in local communities and schools.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify and differentiate between living and non-living things.
- Make observations of living things, their environment, and how changes can impact their habitat.
- Identify the basic needs of living things (air, water, food, and space).
- Observe and describe the habitat of red wigglers.
- Understand how soil is formed and that living and non-living things are used as the basis of soil (such as rocks, dead plants and animals, as well as waste from animals, such as castings).
- Explain how compost is found in nature and is also a sustainable practice used to reduce food waste.
- Design a habitat for red wigglers using the steps of the engineering design process.