A classroom investigation using QR codes and bar code scanners to determine how long it takes for different items to biodegrade. Then students will use the data to make a bar graph either by coloring the bars or by recording the information (and a written paragraph) on a word document. Sample pictures are included.

1. Name ______________________ Date________________________
Living in the Landfill
How long does it take each item to biodegrade?
Predict the order from least time to most time that you think it will take each
item. On the box in front of each item, write a number from 1 to 8 to show the
fastest to the slowest biodegradable item.
My Item Weeks? Months? Years?
Prediction
Cardboard Milk Carton
Paper
Banana Peels
Aluminum Cans
Cigarette Butts
Plastic Grocery Bags
Plastic Cup
Styrofoam
Use the iPad barcode scanner “Neo Reader” to find your answers.
Mark it in the proper column—does it biodegrade in weeks, months, or years.
What did you discover? Was there anything that surprised you?
Answer the questions on the back of this sheet:
We are going to use this data to make a graph!!

2. What did you discover? Was there anything that surprised you?
Write at least 4 detail sentences about what you discovered and what was
surprising.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Include a fifth sentence about something you learned about landfills and the
environment. How might this change the choices you make?
5.

3. Environmental Education QR Codes Quizzes: Living in the Landfill
A plastic cup takes ____ years to decompose.
From http://www.theplastiki.com/
Banana peels take ____ weeks to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)
Paper takes ____ months to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)

4. Cardboard milk cartons take ___ years to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)
Cigarette butts take ___ years to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)
Plastic grocery bags take ____ years to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)

5. Aluminum cans take ____ years to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)
Styrofoam cups take ____ years to biodegrade.
From Planet Patrol: A Kids’ ActionBuide to Care for the Earth
by Marybeth Lorbiecki (2005)

6. Living in the Landfill
By ________
On _______
One of the things we did for Math Month was to see how long items live in
the landfill. We used the _____ to read __________ to see how long it takes
different items to ___________________. Below is the graph that shows what
we found. I was surprised to learn __________________________. I was also
surprised that ______________________________________. Now that I
know all of this, I _______________________________________.
NEVER
200 to 500
years
100 to 200
years
Length of Time It Takes Items to Biodegrade
50 to 100
years
30 to 50
years
20 to 30
years
15 to 20
years
12 to 15
years
8 to 11
years
5 to 8
years
2 to 5
years
1 to 2
years
2 to 12
months
6 wks to 2
months
2 to 5
weeks
0 to 1
week
Cardboard Sheet of Banana Aluminum Cigarette Plastic Plastic Cup Styrofoam
Milk Cartons Paper Peels Cans Butts Grocery
Bag
Items We Use & How Long It Takes Them to Biodegrade

7. Student Sample—Rough Draft prior to taking it to the computer lab to fill in the word template

8. Student Sample—Final project