Will it Compost?

• Ecological science behind composting

• Compost essentials: Nitrogen-rich "greens," Carbon-rich "browns," Water, Air, Fungus, Bacteria/Microbes, Invertebrates, Time for decomposition

• Building vocabulary: decomposition, bacteria, microbes, fungus, nutrients, invertebrates, composting

• Practical life skill (composting at home!)

• Analytical skills

• Cooperation in a group activity

• Each student gets a card from the deck and circulates walking around 3 designated bases (trees, traffic cones, buckets, hula hoops, etc) - moving in a big circle around the outside of the bases.

• When the instructor says "Compost!" students immediately go to the nearest base.  All their cards are combined face-up and analyzed to see if "successful" compost is made!

• The analysis can happen as a whole group and will likely need support from the teacher/facilitator based on the rules below:

• Each pile needs:

  • At least 1 card each of the "essentials" (having extra of any of these cards is not a problem):

"Browns" ~ "Greens" ~ Air ~ Water ~ Fungus 

Bacteria/Microbes ~ Invertebrates ~ Time/Decomposition

• But... Compost problems may ruin your pile!:

  • "Problem" Cards cancel-out specific "essential" cards in the game.  If too many essentials are canceled out, the compost will fail and you have to play again!

  • Here are the following problem cards that can ruin your compost (this is where the deeper science concepts can be explained & explored with your group!):

  • "Too Wet" cancels "Too Dry" (if both are in the pile, they are neutral/can be removed)

  • "Too Dry" cancels "Bacteria/Microbes" or "Fungus" (these will die if the pile dries out)

  • "Excess Oil & Fat" cancels 1 "Time & Decomposition" (excess oil will slow the process)

  • "Too wet" cancels 1 "Time & Decomposition" (excess water will slow the process)

  • If both non-biodegradable cards are in the pile, it is ruined: "Plastic" or "Wrappers & Packaging"

  • If both "Meat Scraps" and "Animal Scavengers" are in the pile, it is ruined

  • If a combo of "No air flow" or "Too wet" or "Excess Oil & Fat" cards in the pile, it is ruined

  • There is room for additional interpretation & analysis based on your group and discussion!

• If groups of students in a classroom play, multiple sets of cards are needed (3 color-coded sets are provided in the printable PDF: brown, green & yellow). 

  • In this game setup, each of the 3 groups shuffle their own deck and allot cards into 3 random face-down piles.

  • Next, each of the 3 piles is laid out face-up and analyzed based on the same rules above to see if successful compost is made!

• When a group makes a successful pile, they yell, "COMPOST!"

• Multiple rounds can be played for different results and the information can be tracked in a chart for further discussion.

• "Problem" cards can be removed from the deck prior to play to increase the odds of successful compost.  There are 8 total "problem" cards per deck; reducing this number before shuffling and distributing the cards in the next round makes it more likely for compost success!