S.O.I.L.. (Seekers Of  Items Leftover)
 use
T.R.A.S.H. (Things Readily Available to Sort at Home)  to make compost.

Humus is simply decomposed organic matter.  Everything organic decomposes to become soil!

The object of the activity is to create a viable compost pile using only green and brown materials and keeping the pile free of inappropriate items.

Two students are chosen to be the S.O.I.L. players and are each assigned a separate area in the playing space in which to create a compost pile. All others are T.R.A.S.H. and choose a card from a deck of T.R.A.S.H. cards all of which are face down. T.R.A.S.H. players DO NOT look at the card, but rather hold it next to their bodies, words towards their bodies.  T.R.A.S.H. players find a place to stand with personal space. At a start signal, the T.R.A.S.H. players begin to march in place while the S.O.I.L. players power walk among them, tagging one T.R.A.S.H. player at a time.  When a player is tagged:

       The player turns his card over to see what item he represents. 

       If it is a green or brown item, the T.R.A.S.H. player is sent by his S.O.I.L. tagger to that tagger’s compost pile where he jogs in place.

       If a red item is listed on the card, the player must jog around the perimeter of the playing area, deposit the red item card in a designated box, go to the card deck and select another card. The T.R.A.S.H. player then returns to the playing area to march until tagged again.

       As more players are added to the compost pile, all players in the pile must increase the speed of their jog to represent the increased heat produced by a larger compost pile.

       Play until all T.R.A.S.H. players have been added to a pile.

You may choose to make it a competition so that the S.O.I.L. player wins who has the largest compost pile when all players are assigned

       Physically challenged players who cannot march in place could “march” with their hands in space by pushing alternately with one hand, then the other.

       Students who cannot jog may perform arm motions to elevate heart rate.

       Discuss properties of soil, including the fact that soil is actually composed of many types of decomposed items, both those that were living and those that were never alive.  Soil or dirt is not one single thing.

       Have students look at each category of card and discuss the types of items that are green, brown and red. Discuss what organic means and how all organic matter may become soil. Also discuss the problem with the red items that either may never decompose or contaminate the compost pile.

       Since equal parts of green and brown items improve the quality of the compost and increase its decomposition rate, you can require the compost piles to have equal numbers of green and brown players. If a S.O.I.L. player tags too many of one color player, he would have to leave them marching in place and continue until he gets the color needed. Red card players would continue to jog and choose a new card as in the original activity.

       Add players who are “worms” or “microorganisms” whose role is to jog near the compose piles to make sure the T.R.A.S.H. players are increasing jogging speed with each person added to the pile.

       You may add a requirement that all in a compost pile turn each time four more players are added to a pile to remind students that compost piles must be turned periodically for optimum decomposing.