STEM Challenge - Project Too Good to Waste - Create a Prototype Composter

Looking for a flexible, multi-day activity that gets your students “doing science?” Every STEM Challenge offers a hands-on, inquiry-based, student-led project designed to allow them to step into the roles of researchers and engineers.

STEM Challenge projects are ideal for use at any time throughout the school year, between units, before breaks, or during afternoons when testing weeks occur.

For teachers, there are presentations and step-by-step guides to facilitate pacing and lesson plans that align with standards. Students utilize the included notebooks to guide them through activities (both individually and in small groups), challenge them to learn new information, and reflect on and apply the information they have learned. 

The Challenge:

Did you know that your organic trash is actually a valuable resource? When composted, waste from organic fruits and vegetables will break down into excellent fertilizer. Our community is interested in building a compost bin for the community garden. Our annual pumpkin festival happens every October, and we've never been competitive in the pumpkin growing competition. With nutrient-rich soil, our gardens will finally grow at their maximum potential. Each team is going to research the purpose of a compost bin and develop a small-scale prototype to present as a solution. With your help, we can have the prize-winning pumpkins this fall!

What’s in a STEM Challenge?

• a video explaining the engineering challenge and setting the context for the project
• a BIG Question to guide the inquiry
• teacher presentation in PPT (Google-compatible) and Keynote
• a teacher's guide on what the teacher and students should be doing along the way
• student notebook offers
  • questions to provide the students with a framework for their inquiry throughout the entire project
  • opportunities to absorb new information and reflect on ways to use it to complete the challenge

• Using the LAUNCH process, students brainstorm with their peers and reflect on failures and opportunities, with the prospect of sharing their ideas with the world. This holds students accountable, and they will put forth the best effort, knowing that other students could critique the project.
• Each STEM Challenge contains a list of suggested supplies for its project. We were very cautious about choosing inexpensive items, and the supply list is dynamic, allowing for adjustments to individual situations. Suggested supplies include:
  • Cardboard
  • Plastic shoebox or bottle
  • Glue
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Tape
  • Plastic garbage bags
  • Plastic baggies
  • Coffee filters
  • Paperclips
  • Rubber bands
  • Toothpicks
  • Craft sticks
  • Brown stuff (dead) such as dried plant parts like leaves and pine needs or dried moss – high in carbon
  • Green stuff (living) such as grass clippings, vegetable scraps, weeds, other plants – high in nitrogen
  • Water
  • Newspaper
  • Sawdust
    

Supports 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.

MS LS2-3

Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

MS-ETS1-1

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.