On Friday several young scientists from Mapletree Montessori School helped me set up an experiment about composting. Miss Michelle purchased a See-Through Compost Container for our school. It is divided into three sections and is designed to show the process of decomposition and the rate of decomposition of different materials.
We put apple peelings in one section, paper towel in another and a Styrofoam cup in the third Section. We filled each section with soil and watered each section. After we finished setting up the experiment I went around the table and asked each child which material they thought would decompose first, second and third. Here is their hypothesis:
| Student | Apple Peeling | Paper Towel | Styrofoam Cup | |
| P.B | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
| F.K | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | |
| A.R | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
| E.M. | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
| C.D | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | |
| A.A. | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | |
| S.G. | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
When I posed the question “ Why do you think the apple peeling will decompose first?” AA's answer was “Because the apple gets rotten.”
When I asked “Why do you think the paper towel will decompose first SG said: “Because it is easy to rip when it gets wet.”
I think that this is a wonderful experiment because it lets the children observe first hand the environmental impact of what we throw away.
We will be carefully observing and recording our findings. Please come back to the blog for our updates.
Submitted by: Ms. Melanie
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