All lessons › Dung beetles to the rescue › Lesson 3
Australian primary science · Year 4 · Lesson 3 of 3
Clean-up crew hunt
Inquiry question: Which decomposers live in our school yard, and what evidence of their work can we find?
Check practical materials
Observing
What students learn
Decomposers live all around us. We can find them, and evidence of their work, in leaf litter, under logs and in soil. Asking good questions about what we find leads to new investigations.
Success criteria
- I can find and draw at least two decomposers or signs of decomposition.
- I can explain how each one helps break things down.
- I can write a question we could investigate next.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students can explain what decomposers do (lessons 1 and 2).
- The school yard: a garden bed, leaf litter under trees, and a log or rock that can be safely rolled — 1
- Workbooks or scrap paper on something firm (a book or clipboard), and pencils — 26
- Sticks or old spoons to gently move leaves — 13
- Soap and water or wipes for hand washing — 1
Teacher setup
- Walk the yard before the lesson and choose two or three safe spots (leaf litter, a garden bed, a log or paver).
- Check for wasp nests, ant nests and long grass; in warm months, check for snakes.
- Open the student view on your screen or print the hunt guide if you will be outside.
Safety and adaptations
- Look, don’t touch: move leaves with a stick, not your hands.
- Only the teacher moves logs or rocks after checking the area; students stand back. Leave anything in place if it cannot be moved safely.
- Stay out of long grass; tell the teacher at once if you see a snake, spider or wasp nest.
- Students with allergies to bites or stings stay with the teacher.
- Wash hands afterwards.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- In pairs, quietly visit two or three spots the teacher has chosen.
- Gently move leaf litter with a stick. Stand back while the teacher checks and moves any safe log or rock.
- Sketch at least two decomposers or signs of decomposition (holes in leaves, lacy leaves, fungi, soft wood, crumbly soil).
- Next to each sketch, write how it helps break things down.
- Back in class, write one question about what you saw that we could investigate (for example: “Do more slaters live under logs than under leaf litter?”).
Teacher modelling prompt
Pick up a fallen leaf with holes (or show a photo). Think aloud: “Observation: this leaf has holes and the edges are lacy. Interpretation: something has been eating it, maybe slaters or tiny animals. Question: which part of the yard has the most leaves with holes?” Model the sketch and labels.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: Which decomposers live in our school yard, and what evidence of their work can we find?
| Where we looked | Decomposer or sign we found (draw it) | How it helps break things down | A question we could investigate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
What did we observe that helps decide?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? Name two decomposers or signs of decomposition you found.
Explain with evidence: Why did we find more decomposers under the log than on the dry path?
Apply the idea: Write a question about decomposers in our yard that we could investigate. Stretch (older students): what would you change, what would you measure, and what would you keep the same?
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.