SECTION 6 - Solutions Compost-ables - Germination (Optional Activity), PART B, P3 DURATION ENDURING UNDERSTANDING • 30-minute sessions for assessment as desired • Transferring carbon back into our soils • Additional 30 minute sessions for germination activity ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES: • Have the learners make a simple log to write down and/or draw their observations. Each section of the log should begin with the date and time of day the observation was made. • For a week, or longer, schedule a time during the day that the learners will tend their composters (add moisture, stir the contents, and add more dirt or matter) and write down or draw the changes they see and smell in their logbooks. • At the end of the week, gather the entire group to share key learnings. To extend the period of time for this activity—say, 3 weeks or a month—once the compost has decayed, the next step would be to test the composted material by germinating seeds. GERMINATION ACTIVITIES: • When the decay is advanced (this could take several weeks, depending on your climate) give each learner 3 seeds to drop into their bottles (vegetable, herb, or 昀氀ower). • The educator also plants 3 seeds in plain dirt in a pot and keeps it in the same location as the composters. Water the seeds when the learners water their seeds, and in general, care for the potted, no-compost seeds as the learners are caring for their seeds. • For the next 2 weeks, learners should keep the compost moist but do not stir it. • Have the learners log what is happening. • Share in a large group what has happened over this period, especially comparing what has happened to their seeds and what has happened to the educator’s seeds planted without compost. • Have the learner take their composters and plants home to share with their families and to stimulate conversations about family composting. T RESOURCES: • The Carbon Almanac - Here’s What’s True: Agriculture, Forestry, Land Use, p. 68/ 013 • The Carbon Almanac - Solutions: Using Agriculture as a Carbon Sink, p.202/ 218 • The Carbon Almanac - Solutions: Drip Irrigation, p.204/ 248 • The Carbon Almanac - Solutions: Backyard Regeneration, p.210/ 108 • A log or journal of some sort to keep notes of changes. This could be paper and pencil or computer. 42