PAGE 1: How we will learn OVERVIEW ======== Soil feeds our crops, so we must look after it. In this sub-strand you will learn which materials are good for making compost manure, how to make compost using the heap method, how to look after a compost heap until it is ready, and how compost makes soil better for growing food. ## Strand 1.0: Conservation of Resources Sub-strand 1.1: Soil Conservation Suggested lessons: 7 ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Agriculture Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 1.0 Conservation of Resources, Sub-strand 1.1 Soil Conservation ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) identify suitable materials for making compost manure b) prepare compost manure for farming c) appreciate importance of compost manure in farming ## Key inquiry questions 1. How can composting conserve the environment? ## Learning experiences • discuss suitable materials for compost manure based on their local environment • collect and compost suitable materials and make compost manure using heap method • practise the learnt skills in making compost manure using slashed vegetation, kitchen wastes and any other available organic wastes and using it in their gardening activities • make use of the prepared compost in a crop garden to appreciate its importance ## Core competencies • Communication and collaboration: speaking and listening skills as the learners discuss the process of preparing compost manure. ## Values • Unity: working together striving to achieve common goal in the preparation of compost manure. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Care for the environment as learner utilize waste organic materials in the preparation of compost manure. ## Links to other learning areas • Learners relate the environmental resource conservation skills to the waste disposal methods learnt in Science and Technology. PAGE 2: Lesson 1: Suitable materials for making compost manure — Suitable materials LESSON 1: SUITABLE MATERIALS FOR MAKING COMPOST MANURE ====================================================== ## What you will learn • Explain what compost manure is. • Name materials that are suitable and unsuitable for making compost. Curriculum outcomes: a) identify suitable materials for making compost manure ## Introduction After lunch at home there are banana peels, sukuma wiki stalks and potato peelings left over. In the garden there is slashed grass and weeds. Instead of throwing these away, a farmer can turn them into food for the soil. ## Notes Compost manure is manure made when plant and animal wastes rot (decompose) and change into a dark, crumbly material. Tiny living things in the soil, such as bacteria, fungi and earthworms, feed on the wastes and break them down. When compost is added to soil, it gives the soil plant food and makes it better for growing crops. ### Suitable materials Any material that came from a plant or an animal and can rot is called organic material. Good materials for compost include: - Slashed grass, weeds that have not yet made seeds, and leaves - Kitchen wastes such as fruit and vegetable peels, left-over vegetables and tea leaves - Maize stalks, bean haulms and other crop remains after harvest - Animal dung from cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits and chicken droppings - Wood ash from the kitchen, in small amounts - A little topsoil, which already has many of the tiny living things that cause rotting ### Unsuitable materials Some things do not rot or can harm the soil and the crops. Keep these out of the compost: - Plastics, polythene bags, glass, tins, metal and stones, because they do not rot - Diseased plants, because the disease can spread to new crops - Meat, bones and oily food, because they smell and attract rats and dogs - Materials sprayed with chemicals PAGE 3: Lesson 1: Suitable materials for making compost manure — Using what is around you ### Using what is around you The materials you use depend on your local environment. A home near a maize farm has plenty of maize stalks. A home that keeps cows has dung. A school has grass from the compound and waste from the kitchen. Look around your home and school and list what you can collect. ## Key words • compost manure — manure made from rotted plant and animal wastes • decompose — to rot and break down into small pieces • organic material — material that comes from plants or animals and can rot ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Grace collected banana peels, a polythene bag, dry grass and a broken bottle. Which of these can go into a compost heap? Working: 1. Banana peels and dry grass come from plants and can rot. 2. A polythene bag and a broken bottle do not rot. Answer: Banana peels and dry grass PAGE 4: Lesson 1: Suitable materials for making compost manure — Compost materials survey ## Activity: Compost materials survey You will need: Exercise book, Pencil, Gloves 1. In groups, walk around the school compound with your teacher. 2. List all the organic wastes you see, such as grass, leaves and kitchen wastes. 3. Also list wastes that should not go into compost, such as plastics and tins. 4. Back in class, share your lists and agree on which materials your group will collect for making compost. ## Practice 1. What is compost manure? 2. Name three materials from the kitchen that can be used to make compost. 3. Why should plastics not be put in a compost heap? 4. Why should diseased plants be kept out of compost? ## Answers to practice 1. Manure made from plant and animal wastes that have rotted. 2. Any three, for example fruit peels, vegetable peels, left-over vegetables, tea leaves, wood ash. 3. Plastics do not rot. 4. The disease can spread to the crops where the compost is used. ## Summary • Compost is made from organic materials that rot. • Use grass, leaves, kitchen wastes, crop remains, dung, ash and topsoil. • Keep out plastics, glass, metal, diseased plants and meat. PAGE 5: Lesson 2: Making compost manure using the heap method — Building the heap LESSON 2: MAKING COMPOST MANURE USING THE HEAP METHOD ===================================================== ## What you will learn • Choose a good site for a compost heap. • Build a compost heap in layers. Curriculum outcomes: b) prepare compost manure for farming ## Introduction A compost heap is like a layered cake. Each layer has a job, and together the layers help the wastes rot quickly into good manure. ## Notes In the heap method, compost materials are piled in layers on top of the ground. ### Choosing a site A good site for a compost heap is: - Near the garden where the compost will be used, to save labour - Under a shade, so the heap does not dry out quickly - Sheltered from strong wind - On ground where water does not collect - Away from the house, so any smell does not disturb people ### Building the heap 1. Clear the site and mark out an area, for example about one and a half metres long and one and a half metres wide. 2. Loosen the soil a little with a jembe. 3. Lay a bottom layer of coarse materials such as maize stalks or small twigs. This lets air in and lets extra water drain out. 4. Add a layer of dry vegetation such as dry grass or leaves. 5. Add a layer of green materials such as fresh grass, weeds and kitchen wastes. 6. Add a thin layer of animal dung. 7. Sprinkle a little wood ash. 8. Add a thin layer of topsoil. 9. Sprinkle water to make the layers damp but not soaking wet. 10. Repeat the layers until the heap is about one metre high. Push a long stick into the middle of the heap. You will use it later to check whether the heap is warm inside. Finally, cover the heap with dry grass or banana leaves to keep in moisture and heat. PAGE 6: Lesson 2: Making compost manure using the heap method — Safety ### Safety Wear gloves when handling dung and wastes. Carry tools with the sharp edge facing down, and wash your hands with soap after the work. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: Layers in a compost heap (the layers are repeated until the heap is about one metre high) PAYLOAD: CAPTION: Layers in a compost heap (the layers are repeated until the heap is about one metre high) [/DIAGRAM] ## Key words • heap method — making compost by piling materials in layers above the ground • site — the place chosen for doing something • layer — one level of material spread over another ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Why is the first layer of a compost heap made of maize stalks or twigs? Working: 1. Coarse materials leave spaces between them. 2. The spaces let air into the heap and let extra water drain away. Answer: To allow air in and extra water out of the heap PAGE 7: Lesson 2: Making compost manure using the heap method — Build a school compost heap ## Activity: Build a school compost heap You will need: Jembe, Panga, Maize stalks or twigs, Dry and green vegetation, Kitchen wastes, Animal dung, Wood ash, Topsoil, Watering can, Long stick, Gloves 1. With your teacher, choose a shaded, sheltered site near the school garden. 2. Mark the area and loosen the soil. 3. Share the work in your group: some collect materials, some build and some water. 4. Build the layers in the right order and water each round of layers lightly. 5. Put the stick in the middle and cover the heap. 6. Write the date on a label so you know when the heap was made. ## Practice 1. Give two things that make a good site for a compost heap. 2. Why is topsoil added to a compost heap? 3. Why do we cover the heap with dry grass or banana leaves? ## Answers to practice 1. Any two: near the garden, under shade, sheltered from wind, where water does not collect, away from the house. 2. Topsoil has tiny living things that help the materials to rot. 3. To keep in moisture and heat. PAGE 8: Lesson 3: Caring for a compost heap ## Summary • Build the heap in a shaded, sheltered place near the garden. • Start with coarse stalks, then dry vegetation, green materials, dung, ash and topsoil. • Water the layers lightly and repeat them until the heap is about one metre high. LESSON 3: CARING FOR A COMPOST HEAP =================================== ## What you will learn • Explain how to look after a compost heap. • Tell when compost manure is ready for use. Curriculum outcomes: b) prepare compost manure for farming ## Introduction A compost heap is not finished on the day it is built. For the next few weeks the tiny living things inside it are hard at work, and they need air, water and warmth to do their job. ## Notes ### Checking the heap Pull out the stick from the middle of the heap after a few days and touch the end that was inside. - If the stick feels warm, the materials are rotting well. - If the stick is cold, the heap may be too dry or too wet. Add water if it is dry. If it is soaking wet, open it up and add some dry grass. - If the stick smells bad, the heap is too wet and has too little air. Turn it and add dry materials. PAGE 9: Lesson 3: Caring for a compost heap — Turning the heap ### Watering The heap should feel damp, like a squeezed cloth. Sprinkle water when it looks dry, especially in the dry season. Too much water pushes out air and slows rotting. ### Turning the heap After about three weeks, turn the heap. Move the materials from the outside to the inside and the top to the bottom. This lets in fresh air and mixes the materials so that all of them rot evenly. Turn the heap again after another few weeks. ### When is compost ready? Compost made by the heap method is usually ready after about two to three months. Ready compost: - Is dark brown or black in colour - Is crumbly and soft - Has a pleasant smell like fresh soil - No longer shows the original grass, peels or leaves - Is no longer warm inside While the compost is rotting, keep the heap covered and keep animals away from it. PAGE 10: Lesson 3: Caring for a compost heap — Example 1 ## Key words • turning — mixing the compost materials so that air gets in and they rot evenly • moisture — a small amount of water that makes something damp ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Juma pulled out the stick from his compost heap and it was cold and dry. What should he do? Working: 1. A cold, dry stick shows that the heap is too dry for rotting. 2. He should sprinkle water on the heap and cover it again. Answer: Water the heap lightly and keep it covered. ## Activity: Compost heap care record You will need: The school compost heap, Watering can, Jembe or fork jembe, Record book 1. Each week, one group pulls out the stick and feels whether it is warm, cold, dry or wet. 2. Record what you find and what you did, for example 'watered' or 'turned'. 3. After about three weeks, turn the heap together. 4. Keep recording until the compost is dark, crumbly and smells like soil. ## Practice 1. What does a warm stick in the middle of a compost heap show? 2. Why is a compost heap turned? 3. Give three signs that compost manure is ready. ## Answers to practice 1. The materials are rotting well. 2. To let in air and mix the materials so they rot evenly. 3. Any three: dark brown or black, crumbly, smells like soil, original materials cannot be seen, no longer warm. ## Summary • Use the stick to check warmth and moisture. • Keep the heap damp, not soaking wet. • Turn the heap after about three weeks; compost is ready in about two to three months. PAGE 11: Lesson 4: Using compost manure and its importance LESSON 4: USING COMPOST MANURE AND ITS IMPORTANCE ================================================= ## What you will learn • Apply compost manure in a crop garden. • Explain the importance of compost manure in farming and in caring for the environment. Curriculum outcomes: b) prepare compost manure for farming; c) appreciate importance of compost manure in farming ## Introduction Your compost is now dark and crumbly. It is time to take it to the garden and see what it can do for the crops. ## Notes ### How to use compost - When preparing a seedbed, spread compost over the soil and mix it in well with a jembe or rake. - When planting seedlings or fruit trees, mix compost with the topsoil that goes back into the planting hole. - For crops already growing, spread compost around the plants without touching the stems, then cover it lightly with soil. ### Importance of compost manure - It adds plant nutrients to the soil, so crops grow well and give more food. - It makes the soil crumbly, so plant roots grow easily and air can get in. - It helps sandy soil hold water for longer. - It helps clay soil drain better. - It feeds earthworms and other useful soil organisms. - Soil with good structure is not washed away easily by rain, so compost helps to conserve soil. - It is cheap, because it is made from wastes found at home and school. PAGE 12: Lesson 4: Using compost manure and its importance — Composting and the environment ### Composting and the environment When kitchen and garden wastes are made into compost, they are not thrown around the compound or burnt. This keeps the home and school clean, reduces bad smells and flies, and avoids smoke from burning. Wastes that could have polluted the environment become useful. This is why composting is a way of caring for the environment. ## Key words • nutrients — food substances that plants take from the soil to grow • soil structure — the way soil particles are held together ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Two garden beds were planted with sukuma wiki. One had compost added and the other did not. Which bed is likely to have healthier plants, and why? Working: 1. Compost adds nutrients and helps the soil hold water. 2. Plants in soil with more food and water grow better. Answer: The bed with compost, because the soil has more nutrients and holds water better. PAGE 13: Lesson 4: Using compost manure and its importance — Answers to practice ## Activity: Compost trial in the school garden You will need: Ready compost, Jembe, Rake, Seeds or seedlings, Watering can, Labels 1. Prepare two small beds of the same size next to each other. 2. Mix compost into one bed only. Label the beds 'with compost' and 'without compost'. 3. Plant the same crop in both beds and water them equally. 4. Every week, observe and record the height and colour of the plants. 5. After some weeks, present your findings to the class on the importance of compost. ## Practice 1. Give three ways compost manure helps the soil. 2. How does making compost keep the environment clean? 3. How should compost be applied to crops that are already growing? ## Answers to practice 1. Any three: adds nutrients, makes soil crumbly, helps soil hold water, helps clay soil drain, feeds soil organisms, reduces soil erosion. 2. Wastes are used instead of being thrown around or burnt, so there is less litter, smell, flies and smoke. 3. Spread it around the plants without touching the stems and cover it lightly with soil. PAGE 14: Lesson 5: How composting conserves soil and the environment ## Summary • Mix compost into seedbeds and planting holes, or spread it around growing crops. • Compost adds nutrients, improves soil structure and helps soil hold water. • Composting turns wastes into a resource and keeps the environment clean. LESSON 5: HOW COMPOSTING CONSERVES SOIL AND THE ENVIRONMENT =========================================================== ## What you will learn • Explain how compost manure helps to stop soil from being washed or blown away. • Explain how turning wastes into compost cares for the environment. Curriculum outcomes: c) appreciate importance of compost manure in farming ## Introduction After a heavy rain, water running down a bare path is brown. That brown colour is soil being carried away. A garden that has compost behaves differently, and that difference is part of soil conservation. ## Notes The top layer of soil is the most useful part. It holds plant nutrients and many small living things. When rainwater runs quickly over bare ground, it picks up this topsoil and carries it away. Strong wind can blow dry, loose soil away too. This loss of soil is called soil erosion. Once topsoil is gone, crops do not grow well. PAGE 15: Lesson 5: How composting conserves soil and the environment — How compost holds soil in place ### How compost holds soil in place Compost manure helps the soil particles stick together. Water then soaks into the ground instead of racing over the surface and taking soil with it. A bed that has compost stays softer after rain. Roots hold on more easily, and the soil is less likely to form a hard crust. Compost also acts like a sponge. It stores water for the crop, so the farmer does not need to water as often. Soil that stays slightly moist is not easily blown away by wind. ### Keeping plant food on the farm Banana peels, slashed grass and crop remains already contain plant food. If they are thrown away or burnt, that food is lost and burning makes smoke. If they are composted and returned to the garden, the next crop can use the same food. Nutrients stay in the farm instead of being wasted. ### Composting as care for the environment Wastes left in the open smell, breed flies and make the compound untidy. Plastics should still be kept out and taken to the right place, but organic wastes can be composted. Making compost is therefore a way of disposing of waste that also conserves soil. In Science and Technology you learn about waste disposal. Composting is one safe method for wastes that can rot. Look at two places after rain: a bare path and a bed where compost was mixed in. On the path, water runs off and the soil looks washed. On the composted bed, water soaks in and the soil stays where it is. That observation shows why farmers value compost. PAGE 16: Lesson 5: How composting conserves soil and the environment — Example 1 ## Key words • soil erosion — the carrying away of soil by water or wind • topsoil — the upper layer of soil, which is richest in plant food • conserve — to look after something so that it is not lost or wasted ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Two beds were left bare during a heavy rain. One had compost mixed into it and the other did not. Which bed is more likely to lose soil, and why? Working: 1. Compost helps soil particles stick together and lets water soak in. 2. On the bed without compost, water runs off the surface and carries soil away. Answer: The bed without compost, because water runs off and washes the soil away. ## Activity: After-rain soil watch You will need: Two small plots or trays of soil, Compost, Watering can, Exercise book 1. Fill two trays with the same soil. Mix compost into one tray only. 2. Tilt both trays slightly and pour the same amount of water at the top of each. 3. Collect the water that runs off and compare how muddy it is. 4. Discuss how composting wastes and returning them to the garden conserves soil. 5. Write two sentences on how composting cares for the environment. PAGE 17: Lesson 6: Practising compost making for the school garden ## Practice 1. What is soil erosion? 2. Give two ways compost manure helps to conserve soil. 3. Why is burning kitchen waste a poorer choice than composting it? ## Answers to practice 1. The carrying away of soil by water or wind. 2. Any two: holds soil particles together, lets water soak in, stores water, stops soil being blown away easily, keeps nutrients on the farm. 3. Burning wastes plant food and makes smoke, while composting returns the food to the soil. ## Summary • Soil erosion is the loss of soil by water or wind. • Compost holds soil together, stores water and keeps nutrients on the farm. • Composting organic waste keeps the compound clean and cares for the environment. LESSON 6: PRACTISING COMPOST MAKING FOR THE SCHOOL GARDEN ========================================================= ## What you will learn • Collect suitable local wastes and build or care for a compost heap. • Use finished compost in a gardening activity and explain why the work matters. Curriculum outcomes: a) identify suitable materials for making compost manure; b) prepare compost manure for farming; c) appreciate importance of compost manure in farming ## Introduction Knowing the layers of a compost heap is only the start. The skill becomes real when you collect wastes from your own compound, build the heap with others, and later spread the manure where crops are growing. ## Notes Every home and school has organic wastes, but they are not all the same. Walk around and name what you can use. Slashed grass from the compound, fallen leaves, weeds that have not made seeds, and kitchen wastes such as fruit peels and vegetable stalks are suitable. If the school keeps rabbits or chickens, their droppings can be added in a thin layer. Maize stalks make a good coarse bottom layer. PAGE 18: Lesson 6: Practising compost making for the school garden — Safety while you work ### Working as one group Compost making is easier when the work is shared. One pair can collect dry vegetation, another can collect green wastes, and another can fetch water, ash and a little topsoil. Agree on the jobs before you start, then help anyone who finishes early. Unity means everyone is aiming at the same finished heap. ### Safety while you work Wear gloves or use a stick to pick up wastes. Do not put your hands in your mouth. Wash with soap when you finish. Carry a jembe or panga with the sharp side pointing down, and never play with tools. Keep plastics, glass and tins out of the heap and put them aside for proper disposal. ### From heap to garden If your heap is still new, keep watering and turning it as you learned. If an older heap is dark, crumbly and smells like soil, it is ready. Spread it on a vegetable bed and mix it in before planting, or place it around crops that are already growing without touching the stems. Label the bed so the class can watch how the plants grow. PAGE 19: Lesson 6: Practising compost making for the school garden — Why the practice matters ### Why the practice matters Each time you compost slashed vegetation and kitchen waste, you do three things at once. You identify suitable materials, you prepare manure for farming, and you care for the soil and the compound. That is soil conservation you can see with your own eyes. ## Key words • slashed vegetation — grass, weeds and leaves that have been cut • kitchen waste — leftover food materials from preparing meals, such as peels • unity — working together for the same goal ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A group has maize stalks, fresh grass, a polythene bag, chicken droppings and cabbage leaves. Which materials should they put in the compost heap? Working: 1. Maize stalks, fresh grass, chicken droppings and cabbage leaves can rot. 2. A polythene bag does not rot and must be left out. Answer: Maize stalks, fresh grass, chicken droppings and cabbage leaves. PAGE 20: Lesson 6: Practising compost making for the school garden — Collect, compost and use ## Activity: Collect, compost and use You will need: Gloves, Sacks or baskets, Jembe, Watering can, Slashed vegetation, Kitchen wastes, Crop garden or planting bed 1. In groups, collect suitable materials from the school compound and kitchen. Sort out anything that should not be composted. 2. Add the materials to your heap in layers, or start a new heap if you do not have one. Water it lightly. 3. Share the tasks so that every learner has a job. 4. If you have ready compost, spread it in a crop garden and mix it into the soil. 5. Tell the class one way this work conserves soil and one way it keeps the environment clean. ## Practice 1. Name three organic wastes you can collect at school for compost. 2. Why should the class share the jobs when making compost? 3. What should you do with finished compost in a crop garden? 4. Give one safety rule to follow when collecting wastes. ## Answers to practice 1. Any three: slashed grass, leaves, weeds without seeds, fruit peels, vegetable stalks, animal droppings, maize stalks. 2. The work is easier and finishes well when everyone works together for the same heap. 3. Spread it on the bed and mix it in, or place it around growing crops without touching the stems. 4. Any one: wear gloves, do not touch your mouth, wash hands with soap, keep plastics and glass out, carry tools safely. ## Summary • Collect local organic wastes such as slashed vegetation and kitchen wastes. • Share the work, follow safety rules and build the heap in layers. • Use ready compost in the crop garden so the soil and the environment both benefit. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. Which of these materials is suitable for making compost manure? A. Polythene bags B. Broken glass C. Vegetable peels D. Old tins 2. Why are meat and bones kept out of a home compost heap? A. They make the heap too cold B. They smell and attract rats and dogs C. They are too light D. They make compost green 3. Name two animal wastes that can be used to make compost. 4. Which material is put at the bottom of a compost heap? A. Topsoil B. Wood ash C. Maize stalks or twigs D. Kitchen wastes 5. Where is the best place to make a compost heap? A. In the open sun on a windy hill B. In a shaded, sheltered place near the garden C. Inside the classroom D. Where rainwater collects 6. What is the stick in the middle of a compost heap used for? 7. Why is a compost heap turned after about three weeks? A. To let in air and mix the materials B. To remove all the water C. To kill earthworms D. To make it taller 8. Which of these shows that compost is ready? A. It is green and wet B. It smells bad C. It is dark, crumbly and smells like soil D. You can still see the banana peels 9. How does compost manure help sandy soil? 10. Give one way composting helps to conserve the environment. PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. C. Vegetable peels Vegetable peels come from plants and can rot. The others do not rot. 2. B. They smell and attract rats and dogs Meat and bones produce bad smells and attract animals. 3. Any two: cattle dung, goat droppings, sheep droppings, rabbit droppings, chicken droppings. Animal dung adds nutrients and helps the heap rot. 4. C. Maize stalks or twigs Coarse materials at the bottom let air in and let extra water drain out. 5. B. In a shaded, sheltered place near the garden Shade and shelter keep the heap from drying, and being near the garden saves labour. 6. To check whether the heap is warm and has the right moisture inside. A warm stick shows the materials are rotting well. 7. A. To let in air and mix the materials Turning lets in fresh air and helps all materials rot evenly. 8. C. It is dark, crumbly and smells like soil Ready compost is dark, crumbly and has an earthy smell. 9. It helps sandy soil hold water for longer. Compost soaks up water like a sponge. 10. Any one: wastes are not thrown around, wastes are not burnt, less smell and flies, soil is not easily washed away. Composting turns wastes into a useful resource.