Sunday, May 23, 2010

Promote Global WORMING!


Yes by looseends
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License
Worms support the biotic pyramid, so they make a great metaphor for promoting environmental education among children, as well as adults. The use of worms, especially in composting, is so popular that educators definitely need to include it in any series of environmental education program that addresses the biotic pyramid.

Decomposition is the basis for the survival of the biotic pyramid, and worms make creating a proper decomposition area much easier and safer than many other types of decomposers, like mold or bacteria. In this series of presentations, let's examine how a variety of activities can be used to support this important aspect of environmental education.

While the central project will be to create and keep a "Kitchen Komposter" as a valuable way to live aspects of the Three R's:
  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle
and learn the fourth R: how to RENEW our biotic pyramid. 


Let's also focus on the role WATER plays in our Kitchen Komposter. Can our microhabitat, the Kitchen KOMPOSTER have:
  • TOO MUCH WATER?
  • NOT ENOUGH WATER? 
How can we determine this?

Through a variety of activities, let's also learn 
  1. ways to learn about and express our ideas about the natural world.
  2. what the Biotic Pyramid is.
  3. what types of living things are considered Decomposers in the Biotic Pyramid.
  4. how earthworms ( or other macroinvertebrates) live in their habitat. What is their life cycle?
  5. how the life cycle activities of worms or other macroinvertebrates support water recycling, as well as solid waste recycling. 
  6.  how to simulate or create an environment similar to the natural one where worms live, grow and reproduce.
  7. ways to measure the inputs and outputs of our Kitchen Komposter.
  8. ways to enhance the biotic pyramid through the Kitchen Komposter.
In future posts, Activities and Assessments will be discussed that are aligned with Kansas state curriculum.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

It's a good and important subject area in gardening, biodiversity and the environment.

Thank you for the post. We spent a few hours on composting last week at our community garden (where we grow food). Very useful.

Will make a note to read your future post on "worming".

samccoy said...

Thanks for the words of support. Knowing of many of the activities that you participate in and your love of nature, makes your comments very special to me.

I especially love to read your natural world descriptions of your area in the mornings. I can really visualize what you are seeing and hearing.

I've been hooked on worm composting for many years, so I thought I should put my ideas together for this series on Worming. I'm sharing these activities for a professional development workshop. In June, I will also use them with young people at presentation for an area library.