The compost heap

This lesson focuses on detritivores - minibeasts that recycle essential nutrients. It requires access to a soil/grass area to observe worm casts. (Alternatively pupils could carry out the survey for homework).

Curriculum objectives

Pupils should learn:

• the role of detritivores and their place in the food chain.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this lesson:

• most pupils will: be able to state the food source of a detritivore such as an earthworm
• some pupils will have made less progress and will: know that some animals eat dead leaves and animals
• some pupils will have progressed further and can: explain the place of detritivores in a food chain.