Eco-ED Module
Landfills and Composting
Module Leader(s):
(name)
Short Description:
(Include brochure
information on pages
following this chart.)
Bree Mobley
EcoEd Concept(s):
(list)
EcoEd Literacy
Goal(s):
(list)
Landfills, Composting, Food
Waste
Students will learn the benefits and limitations of three methods of solid
waste disposal
Students will be exposed to a film about how wasting food can overfill our
current landfills
Students will be exposed to the political, economic, and social forces
driving food waste in American (via film)
Students will observe that some materials decompose in a landfill, while
others do not. They will learn the difference between organic and inorganic
materials and understand how a landfill works
Intended Grade(s):
(circle)
Module Objectives:
(list)
In this module, students will learn about three methods of solid waste
disposal. They will watch a film about a group of activists searching for
alternative ways in dealing with food waste in Los Angeles. They will also
create their own, working landfill to observe over the next 3 weeks.
9-10
Students will understand three methods of waste disposal and be able to
identify the advantages and disadvantages of each
Students will be able to identify organic and inorganic material
Students will see how some materials decay while others do not or take
much longer
Materials needed:
(list)
ex: Quiz handout, pencils/pens,
Information handouts, 3 poster
board, Dive! The Film,
projector/laptop/TV
Timeline:
0-10 minutes
10-30 minutes
Materials for Landfill activity:
Shoebox for each participant
Foil, soil, water, toothpicks, magnifying
glass, cardboard, several types of
organic and inorganic material
Introductions/Opening Questions
60-65 minutes
Knowledge quiz: what do you know
about landfills, etc
Read Information and make table of
advantages/disadvantages of three
options for waste
Introduce movie: Dive! The Film
65-155 minutes
Watch movie: Dive! The Film
155-170 minutes
Brief discussion of movie
170-175 minutes
Explain Landfill activity
30-60 minutes
1
175-215/240 minutes
Build a Landfill!
Activity Description:
(Provide enough detail Part 1- Introductions and opening questions
so that someone else
 The students will introduce themselves.
could run the
 The instructor will introduce the theme/purpose of the day and ask
workshop. Include
what students know about Sustainability and if they think it’s
worksheets on pages
important
following this chart.)
Part 2- Knowledge quiz: what do you know about landfills, etc
 Instructor passes out Knowledge Quiz (can find copy of this attached
on wikipage)
 Each student fills out quiz, talking amongst themselves is
encouraged
 Discuss the short answer questions
Part 3- Read Information and make table of advantages/disadvantages of
three options for waste
 Separate students into three groups and pass out reading
information about Landfills, Incineration, and Composting.
Information handouts can be found attached to wikipage.
 Have each group of students write the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of waste removal method on a poster
board (have poster board pre-labeled with type of waste removal
and split into two columns)
Part 4- Introduce movie: Dive! The Film
 Briefly describe Dive! The Film:
“Inspired by a curiosity about our country’s careless habit of sending
food straight to landfills, the multi-award winning documentary Dive!
follows filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive
in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’
supermarkets. In the process, the salvage thousands of dollars
worth of good, edible food—resulting in an inspiring documentary
that is equal parts entertainment, guerilla journalism and call to
action.”
Part 5- Watch movie: Dive! The Film
 Watch move, approximately 90 minutes.
 Movie can be accessed on the website:
http://www.divethefilm.com/default.aspx
Part 6- Brief discussion of movie
 Ask students what they thought of the film. Start a brief discussion
using simple questions: Would you ever dumpster dive? What do you
think of these individuals? Do you think they should be arrested for
dupster diving? etc, etc
Part 7- Explain Landfill activity
 Explain to the students they will be making a landfill of their very
2
own to bring home and watch for the next 20 days. Pass out
recording handout, explain that this should be used to record data
on the landfill for the next few weeks. Copy of handout is included
on wikipage.
Part 8- Build a Landfill!
 Have students recall the advantages and disadvantages of landfills,
use the diagram on the worksheet passed out earlier as reference.
 Have students look at their organic and inorganic material under the
magnifying glass. Have them predict which materials will partially
decompose and which will not decompose. Write the hypothesis in
the space provided on the recording handout.
 Line shoebox with foil (or plastic). Understand that this simulates the
liner or liners in a sanitary landfill
 Fill shoebox with soil
 Make two parallel rows of materials by placing one complete set in
each row (so you should have two duplicate rows next to eachother).
Cover with two inches of remaining soil
 With toothpicks and cardboard mark the location of the buried
opjects
 Have students date their worksheets and note the objects they
buried.
 Instruct students on how to take care of their landfill in the
upcoming days: keep landfill in a sunny place and water as needed
to keep the soil moist. After 10 days, uncover the objects from one
row and observe them, record your observations on the worksheet.
After 10 more days, uncover the remaining row of objects, observe,
and record on the worksheet.
Parent/Guardian
Follow Up:
Dear Parent/ Guardian,
Your student recently participated in an environmental education program
about Landfills and Composting Ask your child what they learned about…
- the difference between Landfills, Incinerators, and Composting
- the movie DIVE!
- their homemade landfill, please help them in filling out their observations
worksheet over the next 20 days
**Attachments: Intro Quiz, Intro Quiz Answers, Landfill Worksheet, Incinerator Worksheet, Composting
Worksheet, Landfill Observations Recording Worksheet
3