Comparative Landfills Activity

This 2-page activity and lesson plan, provided by the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC), is intended to "demonstrate what actually happens to garbage in landfills, and compare it to simply burying the trash." The activity simulates the effects of burying garbage using bottles with soil in them and the effects of placing garbage in landfull by using bags. Students collect daily data on the test samples to learn what happens when garbage is disposed of in these ways. The teacher's guide also includes instructions, materials needed, skills gained, a timeframe, and a list of possible extensions to the activity.