Vermicomposing at Hanghua First Primary School
Apr.10.2011
Vermicomposting
Location: Hanghua First Primary School
Participants: Zhao Jiaxin, Wang Jiaqi, Students from Hanghua First Primary School
It is Monday again. We brought high quality soil, plastic boxes, and earthworms to Hanghua First Primary School. Today we gave the students a lesson that required use of both the hands and the brain: vermicomposting. We were all quite interested in this topic back in Baiouhuan training. This is not only because vermicomposting substantially helps organic farming, but also because students can learn how nature fertilizes itself without the use of manpower.
When we first told the students about that day’s lesson, everyone was excited and wanted to try it. However, we had to teach them the theoretical knowledge before we got to work.
We made good use of a PPT prepared by Wang Jiaqi. When asked the questions; “What do earthworms eat?” the students all answered quite imaginatively. Surprisingly, most of their answers were correct, which proved that they had some prior knowledge of earthworms. We then demonstrated how to build a quality earthworm box. We asked the students what they thought the problem was with the plastic boxes we had bought, and students reached conclusion that boxes were transparent; Black plastic bags were required to create a dark environment that was ideal for the earthworms.
When we finally began making the box, the students were divided into two groups, with eleven in each group. They used the knowledge and materials we provided, as well as their own imagination, to build a cozy, new home for the earthworms.
While making the boxes, some boys thought the earthworms and the soil were disgusting, so Wang Jiaqi and I helped them by putting the earthworms into the box for them. Eventually, they overcame this disgust and began happily playing with the earthworms.
We rated the boxes that they made, take a look!
Actually, both of them were quite nice! The most important thing was that our knowledge no longer just remained in our minds, but we had been able to put it to practical use. This left a deep impression on us all.
(Translated by WFLMS Crunchy Zoo Language Club)