Research Scenario

Something strange is happening near your school's playground. Things have turned up missing, like that bananna peel you accidentally left near the slide and the leaves that fell from the trees in the fall. The dead body of that strange looking beetle has also mysteriously disappeared. Even the pumpkin your class carved last fall has vanished.

"Wow," you think. "If we could discover what happens to dead animals and plants, maybe it would help us solve the mounting trash problem." Each American produces 4.5 pounds of trash each day. There are 300 million Americans and 365 days in each year. Any way you multiply it - that's a lot of trash!

Your teacher wants you to solve the mystery of the missing plants and animals by joining a very special group of detectives: The Rot Squad. Your mission is to investigate the mysterious disappearance of plants and animals. To be successful, you need to discover:

• What types of things are disappearing?
• Who or what is causing the materials to disappear?
• When and how do the materials disappear?
• Where does the disappearance happen?
• Why do only some materials disappear?

If you are successful in solving the mystery, you will be awarded an Official Detective's Badge and receive an invitation to join the super secret Planet Protective Club.

Task and Product

To solve the mystery, you will need to conduct several investigations. Before beginning your experiments, read and sign the Student Safety Contract.

Next, print and take the preassessment. Give it to your teacher to show what you already know. Really want to show off your knowledge? Take this online quiz.

For your first investigation, you are going to go outside to look for clues about rotting plants and animals. Record two of your observations here.

• Teacher, please note:  Some students may have specific religious/spiritual beliefs regarding dead animals. Some teachers might say they want to see one observation about rotting plants and one about rotting animals. The teacher should be aware of any specific religious/spiritual beliefs and not require that student to include one animal observation.

For your next investigation, you will conduct an experiment to see which types of materials recycle into the soil. Click here for directions and the observation log.

After sharing with your classmates what happened to the banana, plastic straw, and napkin, read "It's a Dirty Job." As you read, think about how humans recycle and how nature recycles. To show what you know, complete the sorting activity on page 5. Use what you have learned from your research and observations to complete the Short Cycle Assessment.

Preview the article, "The Rot Squad: Rotten but Not Forgotten." Be sure to highlight or underline new vocabulary. Then, read the article to discover how nature recycles. Use your knowledge to go outside with your teacher and record what is and isn't recyclable. Record your observations on this Schoolyard Decomposers Organizer.

Research the process of decomposition by using this organizer and the resources listed in the Gather and Sort section below.

Use the knowledge gained from your observations and research to solve the mystery of decomposition; then, use your knowledge to help solve the problem of too much garbage.

Assessments

• Use this checklist to make sure your have completed all of the tasks.
• Use the BCR scoring tool to make sure your response is complete and accurate.

Questions

Subsidiary Questions:

• What types of things are disappearing?
• Who or what is causing the materials to disappear?
• When and how do the materials disappear?
• Where does the disappearance happen?
• Why do only some materials disappear?
• What other questions do I have?

Gather and Sort

Click on the banana peel below to research more about decomposition.

Organize

Analyze: Use the research you have collected to see if you have enough information to answer the essential questions.

Synthesize: Use your information in order to solve the mystery of how nature recycles.

Conclusion

Let's Share!

Now that you have learned so much about decomposers and helped your teacher understand the Mystery of the Missing Plants and Animals, you will share your brief constructed response with your classmates. If they agree that you have solved the case, your teacher will present you with an Official United States E.P.A. badge and give you the password to join the super secret Planet Protection Club.

Extension Activity

Click here to learn how to build a worm bin, or visit more sites on the student resource page to find out more information about nature's decomposers. Use what you learn to create a cross-word puzzle to stump your teacher and friends.