What is decomposition for kids

Toadstool above the ground on its food source. Mushrooms take a vital part in decomposition. Moulds — Moulds are small fungi, which cause bread and other organic materials to decay away. Example of mouldy bread which are bad to consume. Compost is a mixture of decomposing matter. It improves the quality of soil and makes soil fertile. Examples of the best materials to make compost. The waste material pile is built by layering different kinds of waste in a bin.

There are spaces between the layers for air to circulate move around the bin. Also, the waste material pile needs heat for rotting and killing all unwanted organisms. The material decays faster if the, heap is turned and mixed up every few weeks. The reason it happens is that organic molecules are stores of building blocks and energy. Whatever breaks down organic material uses the energy and building blocks to reproduce itself.

One whole kingdom of living things does nothing except break down organic material: the fungi. Their life style is called ' saprophytic ', because they break down and intake organic matter through their cell walls.

A large part of decomposition is done by microbes , especially bacteria. Keep a chart or daily log of what you notice. Questions to explore: What does it look like? Does the weight change? Does the temperature change each day? Why might these changes be suggesting? Set up an experiment with two different jars, with one or more variables: Try putting large food scraps in one jar and small scraps in another. How do they compare? What might happen if we put in other kinds of materials, like plastic or foil?

What if one jar is kept warmer and one jar is kept colder? Decomposition Helpers In the previous activity, we harnessed the power of very tiny organisms to see how nature breaks stuff down. The Arthropods Who Live at Kidspace Here at Kidspace, we have a living collection of Animal Ambassadors, including reptiles, amphibians, and drumroll, please… arthropods! You can see here that they are helping us break down some pumpkins this month!

The Quest for Decomposers! Be a Decomposition Helper Too! Check to make sure you have covered the entire pumpkin under with soil.

This will help make the decomposition process less attractive to local creatures. If your planter pot is big enough, you may choose to add more flowers or plants around the sides! Water your newly planted flowers or plants. Stay in Touch! Differentiate between compostable waste and non-biodegradable waste. Explore the active process of decomposition.

Create a worm compost farm. Materials See activities for materials. Background Energy enters the food chain from the sun. Vocabulary Biodegradability: Biological and biochemical breakdown of organic materials by the environment. Invertebrate: An animal that lacks a backbone or spinal column.

Not only are they a healthy part of our meals, providing nutrients,…. Backyard Biodiversity Who do we share our homes with? Your backyard contain a great deal of wildlife. Animals will live in any…. We believe that now, more than ever, the world needs people who care about science.