Each group needs:

• 2-liter bottle, cut in half so the bottom half can serve as a stand to hold the top half turned upside down
• 3 cups soil; garden soil works best; avoid using potting soil because it does not have all of the organisms and bacteria that help with decomposition
• ¾ cup water
• 1 sheet paper, torn into small pieces; recycled paper or newspaper works
• 2 lettuce leaves, torn into small pieces
• 1 apple, sliced or diced into small pieces
• 2-3 plastic food containers, such as yogurt cups; cut into small pieces about ½ inch squares
• rubber or latex gloves, one pair per student
• 2 spoons or Popsicle sticks
• measuring cups, in sizes: 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup
• masking tape, 6-inch strip
• marker or pen
• Nature's Disappearing Act Worksheet, one per student

For the entire class to share:

• 2 extras of the group landfill model setups, to serve as experimental controls
• rags, paper towels, broom, dustbin, sink - for clean up