October 22, 2026

7th Graders Learn Benefits of Composting

Junior High seventh-grade students examine leaves and food scraps in a composting bin on the grass during an outdoor Life Science lesson. Two students crouch beside the bin to inspect the materials while classmates observe and take notes.

Seventh-grade Life Science students at the Junior High have been getting their hands dirty (and occasionally holding their noses!) as they learn about composting and how yesterday's waste can become tomorrow's nutrient-rich soil. As part of their unit, students were asked to fill approximately two-thirds of a five-gallon bucket with at least five different types of compostable materials collected at home, including leaves, grass clippings and food scraps that would otherwise be thrown away. Yesterday, they brought their collections to school, where they sorted through the contents and learned firsthand what belongs in a compost pile–as well what doesn't.

The project is part of a yearlong cycle that connects classroom science to the school’s gardens. From now until spring, the composting materials will continue to decompose as students learn about the natural processes that recycle organic waste into valuable nutrients. In the spring, they’ll plant radishes, lettuce and chard as part of a new lesson, and then bury their compost in the garden beds after harvesting their crops, enriching the soil for next year's students.

"We enjoy that the project is hands-on and application-based," said Life Science teacher Mrs. Gretchen Hess, who teaches the lesson alongside Mrs. Brenda Kobie and Miss Meredith Heffner. "It allows students to take concepts they learn in the classroom and apply them to a real-world process. They can see firsthand how materials that might otherwise be discarded can be recycled and used to benefit the environment and our school gardens."

Of course, not every part of the process is pleasant. Mrs. Hess admits that the smell is from the compost is usually the least enjoyable part of the lesson, especially when it's time to sort through their piles to make sure that only acceptable items were collected. But she says those less-than-pleasant moments often become some of the most memorable lessons students take away from seventh grade. “Their curiosity and reactions certainly make the activity memorable,” she said with a laugh.

And while the students may not appreciate the aroma, they're discovering that even the stinkiest science lessons can lead to something pretty sweet: A better-fertilized school garden and a better understanding of how nature recycles its resources.