Vermicomposting

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students at Spooner Elementary have been learning all about the world of worms. The students worked in groups to create mini worm bins. The worm bins will be kept at the school during the winter. During this time the students will collect food scraps from the hot lunch to feed the worms.
Worms are wonderful composters and help recycle by turning our food waste and garbage back into useable soil and incredible organic fertilizer. The fertilizer will then be applied directly to the garden in spring to help us grow a greater harvest.

The students not only got a chance to touch and feel the worms but also learned the important role worms play in our environment. During the last part of the lesson students explored the origins of foods, specifically cheeseburgers. By deconstructing the different parts of the cheeseburger they got to see how soil makes their food. They also discussed the ways which nutrients are passed from the soil through plants and animals and onto each of us through our food. Worms are easy to care for and are a wonderful way to recycle food waste. To learn how to build a worm bin, visit: http://www.gardensimply.com/how-to-guides/build-worm-bin.php

Growth Through Recycling

In the beginning of the school year the 4th grade High Five students planted wonderful herb seeds. The herbs have grown through out the fall and look great. As they got to large for their containers it was time to replant them. The students created self-watering planters using 2-liter bottles thanks to a donation from Viking Coca-Cola in Rice Lake. The students cut the bottles in half, inverting the top of the bottle into the base. Using a string and coffee filters they created a planter in the top of the bottle. The students were then able to replant their herbs in the new planters using indoor potting soil. During the construction of the planter the students learned about the role of osmosis and learned how water moves through the soil. The herbs (chives and dill) the students planted will now grow through the winter in front of a window. The project is a great example of how we can reuse items that might go in the trash. It is also child friendly because when the base runs dry they can add more water allowing the plant to get the moisture when it needs. Herbs grown indoors not only add beauty but are extremely healthy.

To find instructions on making your own recycled planter visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/Self-Watering-Plant-Container-out-of-a-2-liter-bot/