Wiggly, Squiggly Worms:
Helpful or Harmful

Grade Level Kindergarten

Lesson Overview

This lesson will introduce students to worms and lead them through an investigation into worms' habitats. By the end of the lessons, students will be able to draw conclusions about whether or not worms are helpful to our environment.

Lesson

Set the Stage

Gather students' prior knowledge and/or experiences with worms through classroom discussion.

Question ideas to guide discussion:

Create a web about what students know about worms that includes descriptive words.

Discussion:

Group Activity - Worm Dig:

Discuss where worms might be found on the school grounds and what tools might be needed to help find them.

Depending on hardness of ground, teacher may need to turn over soil or students may be able to use instruments (trowels, spoons, etc.) to turn soil.

Observe and discuss the environment.

Question ideas to guide discussion:

Composting:

Explain this concept to students and over the next few days or weeks, have students save the fruit and vegetable leftovers from their lunches to place on the worm dig site. Explain that they will revisit the site at a later date to see if there are more or fewer worms present. Send a letter home explaining composting so families can be involved if students want to do the same at home.

Make a class T-Chart (attachment) and record their predictions of what they think will happen at the compost site.

Worm Observation:

Give students time to observe and handle worms carefully if they want.

Have students take on the role of a scientist and draw the worm with as much detail as they can.

Make a list of what they observe and/or questions they may want to find answers to.

Create a Classroom Environment for Worms:

Create an environment for worms in a clear container with some soil. Spray with a spray bottle periodically to keeps worms moist.

Discuss with students how we will need to try to recreate the natural environment of worms using the materials provided in our classroom. Discuss pros and cons of worms living in a small container.

Class Experiment:

Do worms prefer light or dark?

Use black and white construction paper cut into 5x12 strips.

Discuss how to create a fair test to show which color the worms prefer.

Have students place the worm in the middle between the two strips and observe which color the worm goes to. Have them repeat the process 3 times and record their findings using a tally marks.

Make a large class T-Chart (attachment) and record the findings of each group using tally marks. Compare and record the results of the experiment.

Culminating Activities:

Worm Dig Revisited:

Revisit the compost site. Notice changes in the environment. Look for worms. Revisit questions from first worm dig. Discuss and compare responses.

O.W.L Chart:

Record student responses to what they observed, wondered, and learned through the worm activities, research, and investigations.

O.W.L Chart (attachment)

Conclusion Question:

Are worms helpful or harmful to our environment? Explain why you think this.