How long does decomposing take?

Age: 3-6 years
Materials:

• leftovers from the lunchboxes. ex. an empty yoghurt carton, a banana peal, a piece of tin foil etc.
• a shovel
• a marked piece of soil where it's okay to dig down some garbage and you will be able to find it again.
• a journal to write down the children's observations
• if possible a camera to take pictures of the process.

Process:

1. Have the children select some garbage from their lunchboxes and have a talk with them on what they think will happen to it if we dig it into the ground. Make sure to write down their thoughts in the journal. If possible take a picture of the selected items.
2. Bring the items to the selected piece of soil and have the children dig them down. If they want to, the children can make a sign for their "garbage garden".
3. Every week bring the children back and dig up the garbage to see what have happened to it. Talk about the children's observations and write them in the journal. If possible take pictures every time to eater glue into the journal or make a poster in the classroom where the children can look at them and follow the process.
4. Keep the journal somewhere the children can get to it to show their parents.