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6th Grade  Project 4 weeks

From Scraps to Schoolyard Blooms

Adrienne V
Updated
MS-LS2-1
MS-LS1-7
MS-LS1-6
MS-LS2-2
MS-LS2-3
+ 5 more
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The Challenge

When food waste is sent to landfills instead of being returned to the soil, you lose valuable nutrients for plant growth and increase methane emissions that worsen climate and air quality problems. In dense urban ecosystems, limited space, contamination, pests, and uneven access to green infrastructure make organic waste especially difficult to manage and can disrupt relationships among organisms, soil, water, and people.

Challenge Question

How do we design a compost system for our school that reduces cafeteria food waste so that our community can grow plants and give back to our environment—while preventing problems in our urban ecosystem?

Standards
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-LS2-1 - Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-LS1-7 - Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-LS1-6 - Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-LS2-2 - Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
  • [Next Generation Science Standards] MS-LS2-3 - Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Competencies
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.

Learning Partners and Clients

GrowNYC Office of Sustainability and Dr. Pollans at CUNY can serve as key learning partners by helping students understand school composting systems, urban food waste, and how compost supports plant growth and healthier ecosystems. A local NYC Department of Sanitation organics collection team can act as a client-facing partner by explaining how cafeteria scraps are sorted, collected, and processed across the city. These partners give students authentic feedback on their waste audit findings, compost bin tests, and final recommendations to school leaders.

Phase Outcomes

Phase Learning Outcome
Discover
I can investigate our cafeteria trash through a live waste audit and community discussion to identify why food waste happens, what root causes shape the problem, and why composting matters for our school and urban ecosystem.
Examine
I can analyze cafeteria waste audit data with graphs to identify which food scraps our school throws away most and explain how that waste affects ecosystems. I can observe and compare decomposition in small compost samples to determine how moisture, air, and materials affect how matter changes over time. I can research how compost supports plant growth by connecting decomposition, nutrient cycling, and photosynthesis in living systems. I can learn from sanitation staff, sustainability partners, or community experts to explain how school food scraps move through the city and what problems or benefits composting creates.
Engineer
I can develop a compost system plan for our school by choosing the best materials, collection methods, and setup to reduce cafeteria waste, support plant growth, and avoid harm to our urban ecosystem.
Do
I can implement our compost setup, collect observation and measurement data over time, and use evidence about decomposition, odor, volume, and plant growth to evaluate how well the system works in our school.
Share
I can share our compost solution through a public pitch and interactive display for school leaders, families, peers, and community partners that explains our evidence, invites feedback, and reflects on how I grew as a scientist, teammate, and problem-solver.