Title: Unit 6 Lab Assignment
Course: SAT 105 Urban Agricultural Issues > Section: SAT 105 Urban Agricultural Issues

Unit 6 Lab Assignment

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Download Lab Record Sheet
- Unit 6 Lab Record Sheet.docx (15.96 KB)
Lab Assignment (60 points)

NOTE: This lab involves a 14-day observation of the composting process with materials you have collected.  Do not delay starting!

Requirements

- Download Lab Record Sheet
- Three water tight and airtight containers with lids that will hold at least one cup of material; e.g. pint jars or plastic containers with airtight lids
- Mixed plant waste with no animal or dairy ingredients, such as kitchen scraps, green leaves from trees or shrubs, lawn clippings, etc. Be sure to have a mix of materials. Obtain enough that when chopped finely you will have three cups of materials.
- A tablespoon measure
- A marker or other means of labeling each container (a pencil and masking tape will work)
- Something to stir the ingredients, such as a pencil or stick
- Complete information and save Lab Record Sheet
- Submit Lab Record Sheet to Dropbox on Course Home page

Instructions

1. Chop the vegetable matter into pieces about ¼-inch by ¼-inch or smaller and divide into three equal portions of about 1 cup each.
2. Place one portion in one of your three containers and add two tablespoons of water; mix thoroughly and close the container.  Label this container “Container 1.”
3. Place a second portion in a second and add two tablespoons of water. Mix thoroughly.  Do not seal this container.  Label this container “Container 2.”
4. Place the third portion in your third container.  Do not add water and do not seal this container.  Label this container “Container 3.”
5. Place all three containers together in a dark place at room temperature.  You can place them in a box on a shelf, for instance.
6. Every 2 days throughout the experiment thoroughly stir the contents of “Container 2.”  If “Container 2” starts to dry out, add sufficient water to keep the contents just moist, not waterlogged. Then examine the contents of each container and fill in the table for that day on the Lab Record Sheet.
7. The Lab Record Sheet has a row to record observations for each container for each observation day.  Fill the sheet in as follows
  - In the box for “Visual Observation” describe what you see in the container in question. Record color, texture, presence of mold or fungi, etc.
  - In the box for “Olfactory Observation” describe how the container in question smells.  You can use terms such as no noticeable odor, moldy, sour or sweet.  Note you will have to open the sealed “Container 1.” After smelling it and recording your olfactory observation, be sure to re-seal the container tightly.
  - At the end of the 14-day period, review your observations for each of the containers. Remember the points discussed in the unit and record your conclusions about what was happening in each of the three containers.  Be sure to put your name and Course Section number on the Lab Record Sheet and submit the completed Lab Record Sheet.