This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
What happens after you discard something into the trash can? Does it disappear? Does it simply go away? What happens to it? Well, those questions are the types of real inquiry, practical science that inner-city teachers like Mrs. Teece of Northwest Academy in St. Louis, Missouri, explores with her high school science students.
In our school we strive to create an environment that emphasizes the importance of college. We remind them every day that they are, in fact, college bound. Despite the challenges they face, our students are motivated and they come to us with their ideas and opinions. They always express that "doing" helps them learn better than sitting. They want to create what their learning about. (emphasis mine)
This is so true. I selected her environmental science lesson "Our Trash Goes Where?" for my Donors Choose Campaign. Thanks to two amazing donors (@DocFreeRide and @EJWillingham) all they need is $162 more dollars to get the Lab activity kit they need to learn more about trash.
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Plus, if you help me raise the necessary money before the Science Bloggers for Students challenge ends, Saturday, October 22, 2011, I'll personally lead a landfill lesson for Mrs. Teece's class. (Assuming she and the school administration are cool with this).
Your donation of $5, $10 or more could help cultivate the next generation of Urban Scientists. Help me make this lesson possible for these students. Please visit the Urban Science Blog Pageto donate.
In the meantime, it's a super cool activity you can do at home or after school.
transparent 2-liter soda bottles cut in half with cap
1 bag each of sand, gravel, topsoil, clay dirt
plastic wrap
food coloring - red or blue or green
jug of water
tap 3 holes in the bottle cap.
replace the bottle cap on the bottle.
after cutting the bottle in half place the top half of the bottle, cap-side-down, inside of the bottom half of the bottle.
place your liner at the bottom. If plastic - lay it on the bottom and press flat. If clay, pack it down with your fingers.
randomly select any or all three of the soils - sand, gravel, topsoil and begin layering the soils. be sure to pack them with your fingers. Or use the materials recommended on the cards.
you can layer your soils as thick as you want and as few or many layers as you want.
when you're down constructing your land fill, add a few drops of food coloring to your jusg of water. The colored water represents leacheate.
pour the colored water into your landfill and watch how fast the water drains.
Originally published at Urban Science Adventures! © Series on Landfills