Students will launch the project by gathering systematic evidence from local autumn leaves and leaf litter, generating investigable questions, and creating an initial model of matter cycling. A community partner will connect these observations to the campus compost challenge, soil health, container gardens, and the public Soil-to-Soil exhibition.

Students will research ecosystem processes and immediately apply each concept through leaf anatomy observations, chromatography, leaf-litter examination, decomposer identification, cycle modeling, and compost investigation planning.

Students will build and monitor a campus compost system, repeat a comparative leaf-litter investigation, and improve the reliability of their evidence through partner guidance, calibrated measurements, peer critique, and a formative content check.

Students will analyze investigation evidence, revise matter-cycling models and compost products through peer and community critique, and demonstrate transfer by interpreting a whale-fall ecosystem.

Students will finalize and present their compost system, investigation evidence, matter-cycling models, and soil-origin cards. They will use peer critique to strengthen scientific accuracy before explaining their findings and compost decisions to families, neighboring apartment residents, and community partners at the Soil-to-Soil market.