3: Materials that

Undergo Decay
 What I Need to Know

What are decaying materials? How do decaying materials

affect one’s health and the environment?

At the end of the module, you will be able to:

• Classify the materials whether they decay or do not decay.

(S4MT-Ia-1, First Quarter - Matter)

What I Know

Before you explore our lesson, let us first find out what you
know about this topic. Do your best in answering the questions by reading it
carefully. Good luck!

Directions: Read the questions carefully and choose the correct answer.

1. Cruz family plans to go to a grocery store to buy their needs after

hearing that they will not be allowed to go out because of the spread
of COVID 19. While on quarantine, which of the following food for
snacks will they buy and keep for several days or weeks without
decaying?
a. siopao b. bread c. biscuits d. cake
2. Ana found out that her mother prepared a lot of food because it is her
birthday. They did not expect that there will be a typhoon coming in the
area, so only few friends and family members came to celebrate with
them. What do you think will Ana’s mother do with the food they
prepared?
a. Wrap it with banana leaves and put them inside the cooking pot.
b. Put it in a box and leave it on top of the table.

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 c. Wrap it with cellophane and keep it in a cabinet.
d. Keep it in a reusable container and refrigerate it.
3. During quarantine period, some people are engaged in online
business. They deliver goods that they sell. Your mother ordered 2
kilos of ripe avocado from a friend. When it reached your house, it was
not as fresh as it appears in the picture online. What do you think is not
present in the appearance of the delivered avocado?
a. Unripe b. rotten c. its freshness d. over ripe
4. Which of the following will undergo decay fast?
a. Left over food c. paper bag
b. tissue d. Dried leaves
5. Which is an example of a nonbiodegradable material?
a. twigs of plants c. paper towels
b. used diaper d. banana

Good job! I think you are already excited to do the tasks and
discover more about the lesson.

What’s In
Now, let’s get started. Choose the materials inside the box and
write them in the proper column. Let’s do this…

Rubber boat coin cotton stone

Comb tissue plastic bottle rock
Styro cup sponge metal spoon leaf

Materials that absorb Materials that float Materials that sink

water

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 Amazing performance… This time we will proceed to the next lesson.
So, let’s get started.

What’s New

Do you know what happens to any left-over food or garbage after a

few days, months or years?
Materials rot and decay. They break down naturally when buried on
the ground. They are called biodegradable materials. Biodegradable refers
to materials that have the ability to decay. Examples are left over foods,
paper, dead plants and animals, and others. They decay when they are
exposed to heat, air, water and other substances in the environment. They
are consumed completely by tiny organisms like bacteria and fungi which are
known as decomposers. Decomposers help breakdown dead animals and
plants in the soil.

Decaying Materials

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 There are also materials that do not break down or decay. These
are nonbiodegradable materials. Examples of non-decaying materials are
plastics, glasses, tin cans, ceramics, and Styrofoam. Nonbiodegradable
materials can be recycled.

Non-decaying materials

What’s More!

Classify the materials as decaying or non-decaying. Put your

answer on the chart below.
Dried leaves plastic cups banana peelings paper
Styrofoam cloth wire bottles
Left over food bread wood stone
Rice nail scissors
Decaying Non-decaying

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 What I Have Learned
T Forget
➢ Decay – to be slowly destroyed into bits in the presence of water, air, and
soil.
➢ Biodegradable materials – are those that decay or break down naturally
and become part of the soil.
➢ Nonbiodegradable – refers to materials that do not break down or decay.
➢ Not all plants and animals decay at the same time.
➢ Some were compressed under water and thick layers of soil over years.
They were converted into fossil fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas. These
fuels are used by power stations, factories, motor vehicles and others.
➢ The organic matter in soil is derived from plants and animals. It becomes
organic fertilizer.
➢ Some factors contribute to the decaying process of the materials are:
sunlight, water, soil and action of microorganisms.
➢ Left over foods are kept in refrigerators to avoid decay or delay spoilage
since microorganisms that break down food do not grow fast in cold
temperature.

What I Can Do

Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if incorrect.

Write your answers in the blanks provided.
_______1. Biodegradable materials can make the soil fertile thus, it is good
for planting crops.
_______2. Nonbiodegradable materials can be recycled and reused.
_______3. Plastics are examples of nonbiodegradable materials.
_______4. Biodegradable materials can be reused and recycled.
_______5. Decayed materials pollute the air that we breathe and cause
irritation of the respiratory organs.

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 Assessment

Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the correct

answer.
1. Which of the following will decay first?

A. B. C. D.
Onions tomatoes apples potatoes

2. Abigail bought fish for their lunch. Suddenly, their neighbor invited
them to have lunch at their house. What will her mother do to
preserve the fish?
a.Cover on top of the table c. Put it inside the freezer
b.Return to the seller d. Just leave the fish inside the plastic

3. Which of the following is an example of a nonbiodegradable

material?
a. Dried leaves b. left over foods c. tin can d. fruit peelings
4. _________ help breakdown dead animals and plants in the soil.
a. Decomposers b. fertilizer c. water d. minerals
5. The following are examples of biodegradable materials except one.
What is it?
a. Vegetable peelings c. plastic chair
b. kangkong leaves d. banana

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 Additional Activities

Supply the correct words to complete the puzzle.

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REFERENCES
Science – Grade 4 Learner’s Material. First Edition 2015. P. 10
Villanueva, Lilia, et.al. SCI-BYTES, Worktext in Science and Health 4,
Magallanes Publishing House, Sampaloc, Manila. 2018, pp.20-21
www.google.com.ph.” image”. (Creative commons)

Metadata

Language: English

Keywords: Materials that undergo decay, Biodegradable,

Nonbiodegradable

Science Grade 4, S4MT-Ia-1, First Quarter - Matter)

Description: Classify the materials whether they decay or do not

decay.
Primary Media: Print

Primary Storage: CD, External Hard Drive

Resource Location: Department of Education

Region VI-Western Visayas
Division of Aklan
District of Kalibo I
Kalibo Pilot Elementary School

Developer: ARNIE C. VENTURA

Teacher III

Checked by: NELDA G. TUMBOKON

Master Teacher II

Endorsed by:

MARY CHERRY LYNN M. DALIPE, EdD

Education Program, Supervisor in Science
Division of Aklan

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 9
Additional Activities
Across Down
1. Buoyancy 2 nonbiodegradable
4 Sink 3 float
6 biodegradable 5 absorb
8 decomposers 7 porosity
9 cotton
10 decay
What’s More
Decaying Non-decaying
Dried leaves styrofoam
Left over food cloth
rice nail
bread wire
Banana peelings scissors
Wood bottles
paper stone
What’s In
Materials that absorb Materials that float Materials that sink
water
cotton Rubber boat coin
tissue comb stone
sponge Plastic bottle rock
Styro cup metal spoon
leaf
Assessment What I Can Do What I Know
1. B 1. True 3. C
2. C 2. True 4. D
3. C 3. True 5. C
4. A 4. False 6. A
5. C 5. True 7. B
Answer Key