1. Cycling of Biomass and Composting
You will demonstrate and explain the cycling of matter within living systems such as in the decay of biomass in a compost bin 5b

2. What is Biomass?
Card Sort Activity: With your partner, sort your cards into two categories: Examples and Non-examples of Biomass

3. Check Card Sort after this slide
What is Biomass?
Biomass
is organic material made from plants and animals. (Organic means it contains the element carbon and is made from plant or animal products)
contains stored energy from the sun. 
Plants absorb the sun's radiant energy
in a process called photosynthesis.
Review Time 
Write the equation for photosynthesis
in your notes.
The chemical energy in plants gets passed on to animals and people that eat them.
Check Card Sort after this slide

4. Biomass
Renewable Energy Source
WHY?
We can always grow more and when organisms die, they decay and release energy

5. The Cycle
Activity:
Read the short article on Bioenergy with your partner.
Draw a sketch of the Bioenergy Cycle as you read.
Make sure to include our ultimate source of energy.
Try to show how recycling plays a role in process.

6. How do we contribute to the cycle?

7. Classic Trash Activity
What do these items all have in common?
Classify each item in the box. Decide what criteria you will use to classify each item.
Class discussion:
What are your categories?
Define the categories.
How long will it take for your items to decompose?
What are some problems with landfills?
How can these problems be avoided?
Activity: Classic Trash
Classic Trash Carol Colby Oak Lawn Community High School 95th and Southwest Highway Oak Lawn IL Objectives: 1. Freshmen students will learn how to classify trash into the categories: organic, renewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/recyclable, and nonrenewable/hard to recycle Students will learn what options exist for dealing with trash: recycling, reusing, incenerating, use of landfill, and composting. 3. Students will learn how long trash will last in a landfill. 4. Students will consider problems associated with landfills and learn about possible design solutions to these problems. Problems include smell, methane gas, contamination of groundwater, scavenging birds, loss of natural resources, and increased traffic from trash trucks. 5. Students will learn what the basic components of a landfill are. Materials: Classification Activity:-one shoe box with one of each of the following items for each group of 4-5 students: -1 glass jar -1 plastic bag -1 2-L pop bottle -1 brown paper bag -1 lettuce leaf -1 styrofoam cup -1 aluminum can Strategy: 1. Ask class what these items all have in common: (show items in one of the shoeboxes) -lettuce leaf
-1 glass jar -1 2L pop bottle
-aluminum can
-plastic bag
-1 brown bag "They are all waste products." Each person generates 5 lbs per day. Over a year that accumulates to 2000 lbs or 1 ton of garbage per year per person In teams of 4-5, classify each item that is in your shoebox. Decide what criteria you will use to classify each item. (Suggest that groups consider properties, uses and the disposal of items) 3. After teams have come to a consensus, have a student write the criteria on the board. 4. After this listing is complete, show commonly used categories and allow class to help formulate definitions and examples of each. (organic, renewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/recyclable, nonrenewable/hard to recycle.) 5. Ask class what happens to garbage when it leaves the curb. 6. Once garbage is in the landfill, how long will it last? Ask students to guess how long each item will last: paper 2-4 weeks glass jar unknown length of time (1-2 million yrs) banana peel 4-5 weeks green bean can 100 years
-1 styrofoam cup
Wool sock – 1 year
Cardboard – 2 months
Aluminum can – yrs (if recycled it can be reused in 6 mos)
Disposable Diaper – 550 yrs
Stryrofoam – 1+ mil yrs.
Plastic jug – 1 mil yrs.
Plastic bag – years
7. Ask students to brainstorm with their teams what problems are associated with landfills. 8. Ask students how these problems can be avoided in designing a landfill 9. Show an overhead, poster, or model of a cross section of a landfill. ( Include these components: -clay liner -drainage pipes -sand and gravel filters -alternating layers of dirt and garbage -thick layer of dirt over top covered with grass 10. Explain the function of each component -the clay liner is used to prevent liquids from seeping into the groundwater supply. This is known as leaching -the drainage pipes carry the liquids away from the bottom of the landfill -the sand and gravel layers act as filters. The sand and gravel hold the solid particles and allow the liquid to drain through -after garbage is put into the landfill, dirt is placed over that garbage. The dirt contains microbes which can decompose the organic garbage. After this layer of dirt is placed in the landfill, another layer of garbage is placed over the dirt, then soil, garbage, soil, etc. The alternating layers also prevent scavenging animals from picking at the garbage. The layers also help control odors. -the thick layer of dirt over the top of the landfill helps to make the land usable again Note that trash disposal is a problem for people of all cultures and must be dealt with in a responsible manner for the benefit of all people now and in the future
Performance Assessment: The assessment assignment is to create an edible model of a landfill with team members using the following materials: -1 choc. graham pie crust -2 pieces of red licorice -3-7 graham crackers -2 packs of choc. pudding -2 packs of vanilla pudding -1/2 cup of each: nuts, choc. chips, green coconut Groups should use the materials to best represent the components of a landfill. Each individual team member is responsible for a written explanation of his/her team's model. Explanations should include what the components represent, why each component was chosen, and why the components are necessary in the proper functioning of a landfill. Diagrams may be helpful. Trash Rubric: 6 Exemplary Response Gives a clear, coherent and elegant explanation. Includes: -Explanation with all components described in unit -Model accurately displays all components of landfill -The diagram accurately depicts the components -The function of each component is explained 5 Correct Response The response is correct and the explanation is clear. It includes all of the responses for a rating of six, but to a lesser degree. The explanation may not include a diagram. 4 Satisfactory Response This response is generally correct and does explain the function of a landfill correctly. Some of the components may have been left out our not fully explained. The diagram may be inappropriate or unclear or not included at all. 3 Nearly Satisfactory The response may begin appropriately, but significant parts of the model may have been omitted or not explained accurately. The response may be hard to follow. 2 Inadequate Response-Begins to answer question The explanation is not understandable; the diagram may be unclear; major components of the landfill are left out. 1 Inadequate Response-Unable to begin effectively The words do not reflect the problem; drawings misrepresent the components of a landfill; parts of the landfill may be included, but they are not explained. 0 Not Attempted.....Rating=0 References: Solid Waste Activity Packet, Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois, p.57-66, All Trashed Out, Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Office of Recycling and Waste Reduction, p , Return to Chemistry Index

8. Cross section of a Landfill
A= ground water
B = Compacted Clay
C= Plastic Liner
D= Leachate collection pipe E= Geotextile Mat
F=Gravel
G= Drainage Layer
H= Soil Layer
I= Old Cell
J= New Cell
K= Leachate pond
Figure 3. This cross-section drawing shows the structure of a municipal solid waste landfill. The arrows indicate the flow of leachate.
The basic parts of a landfill, as shown in Figure 3, are:
Bottom liner system - separates trash and subsequent leachate from groundwater
Cells (old and new) - where the trash is stored within the landfill
Storm water drainage system - collects rain water that falls on the landfill
Leachate collection system - collects water that has percolated through the landfill itself and contains contaminating substances (leachate)
Methane collection system - collects methane gas that is formed during the breakdown of trash
Covering or cap - seals off the top of the landfill

9. What percent of waste put in landfills or is burned is considered biomass?
Food 18%
Paper Products 22%
Wood 8%
Yard Trimmings 7%
Textiles 6%
61%

10. Composting
In 1960 the average American threw away 2.7 pounds of trash a day.
Today each person throws away about 4.5 pounds a day. (That comes to about 2000 lbs or 1 ton of trash/year!)
Composting can reduce our waste to landfills.
Composting is a way to recycle organic solid waste.
Composting Video Clip

11. Lab: Compost Bin in a Bottle
Composting Hints
Meat and dairy products are high in fat and will cause an unpleasant odor if added to a poorly-managed compost pile. Running them through a blender will speed up their decomposition.
Worms can reduce composting time by 50%.

12. Here are some experiments that you can do with your column:
Weigh the column daily and graph the change in weight as the compost develops.
Monitor and graph the amount of water used by the column daily. Do this by subtracting the volume of water collected at the bottom from the volume of water you've added to the top.
Measure the temperature of the column with a soil thermometer daily and graph it.
Take notes about the appearance of the trash in the column daily. How long does it take to decompose?
Collect the drainage water and look at it under a microscope to see the microscopic organisms that live in the compost.
Have each class pick a different item to test with their columns

13. Composting Game Informational Site: