**Lesson Plan: Waste Disposal Materials - Composting**
**Grade Level:** Nursery 2
**Duration:** 30 minutes
**Objective:**
- Students will learn about composting as a way to dispose of waste and its benefits.
- Students will understand the basic concepts of composting and be able to identify materials that can be composted.
**Materials Needed:**
- Picture cards or visual aids of compostable and non-compostable items
- A small compost bin or container
- Compostable materials: fruit peels, vegetable scraps, leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells
- Non-compostable materials: plastic, metal, glass, synthetic materials
- A book or story about composting (optional)
- Chart paper and markers
- Gloves (optional for handling waste materials)
**Introduction (5 minutes):**
1. **Greeting and Warm-up:** Gather the students in a circle and greet them warmly.
2. **Engagement Question:** Ask, “Does anyone know what composting is?” Allow a few students to share their ideas.
3. **Explain the Topic:** Introduce composting by saying, "Composting is a way to turn our food scraps and other natural materials into soil that helps plants grow."
**Activity 1 - Identifying Compostable Materials (10 minutes):**
1. **Show Picture Cards/Visual Aids:** Display picture cards or visual aids of various items. Explain which ones can be composted and which cannot. For example, "This is an apple peel; we can put this in the compost. This is a plastic bottle; we cannot compost this."
2. **Sorting Game:** Give each student a picture card and ask them to come up to the front and place their card in the compost bin or a separate container for non-compostable items.
3. **Discussion:** Talk about why certain items can be composted and why others cannot.
**Activity 2 - Hands-On Composting (10 minutes):**
1. **Show Real Composting Materials:** Bring out the actual compostable materials such as fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and leaves.
2. **Touch and Feel:** Allow the students to touch and feel the items (with gloves if preferred). Encourage them to describe the texture, smell, and look of the items.
3. **Make a Mini Compost Bin:** Demonstrate putting the compostable materials into the small compost bin or container while explaining the process of how they will break down and turn into soil.
**Story Time (Optional, 5 minutes):**
- Read a book or story about composting to reinforce the concept. Choose a story that is simple and engaging for young children.
**Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes):**
1. **Review:** Recap what composting is and why it is good for the environment.
2. **Q&A:** Allow students to ask any questions they may have about composting.
3. **Song/Poem:** Sing a simple song or recite a poem about composting to make it fun and memorable. For example, a simple rhyme like, "Composting, composting, healthy soil we’re hosting!"
4. **Goodbye and Homework:** Give each student a small task to do at home, such as asking their parents to show them the kitchen waste. Encourage them to identify if the waste can be composted or not.
**Assessment:**
- Observe participation and correct sorting of items during the sorting game.
- Ask individual students to name one thing that can be composted and one thing that cannot.
**Extension Activities:**
- Create a class composting project where students can contribute daily compostable items from their snacks or lunches.
- Visit a local community garden or composting site for a hands-on learning experience.
By the end of this lesson, the students should have a basic understanding of composting, be able to identify compostable materials, and appreciate the importance of waste disposal for the health of our environment.