Unit 1: Food for the Future Lesson 5: Here Come the Worms! Objectives: Students will discuss the structure and function of the anatomy of the worm, and will describe the worm farm set-up in journal. Students will recognize the earthworm s role in keeping soil fertile and arable (suitable for plowing), and keeping the environment clean. Students will construct a class worm farm to observe and document worms habits, needs, and role in a small ecosystem. Assessment/Evaluation: Formative: Discussion reviewing worm habitat requirements Summative: Completed Worm Farm set-up steps in journal, correctly labeled parts of a worm worksheet. Materials: Video: Making Your Worm Farm One 2-liter bottle, clean and dry Utility knife or sharp scissors for cutting into bottle (Teacher Only) 1 cup of pea sized gravel for drainage Potting soil without fertilizer 2 sheets of black construction paper and tape or stapler Lettuce or other vegetable matter to feed worms Newspaper to cover work area 12 California Red Wiggler worms (available at Pet Supply Shops) Shredded paper Veggie U Journal pages Optional additional materials and worksheets: Wendy the Wonderful Worm Book, Worm Trivia, Worm Parts Diagram, Worm Word Tree and Worm Farm Flap worksheets Glue and scissors (for Worm Farm Flap worksheet) Vocabulary: arable land suitable for growing crops decay to rot or break down aerate to cause air to circulate through
worm farm a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials and worm castings populated by worms. The worm castings are harvested and used to fertilize soil. worm castings - undigested material, soil, and bacteria and nutrients deposited by a worm (worm poop) that help plants grow Procedures: (Note: we have included a large variety of worksheets and activities because the worm lessons have long been one of students favorite Veggie U activities. Please feel free to choose those materials that you think your students will enjoy and will help them understand how worms help plants grow!) 1. (Optional) Assemble and read Wendy the Wonderful Worm and discuss various worm facts presented in the story. 2. (Optional) Discuss and label the parts of the worm on the diagram. 1. (Optional) Discuss the Worm Trivia worksheet. Have students do additional research to add their own fun facts. 2. (Optional) Use the Worm Word Tree worksheet as a basis for class discussion. 3. Making Your Worm Farm You will need about a dozen worms. You will also need a clean, two-liter plastic soft drink or pop bottle, potting soil, gravel and some shredded office or newspaper, a handful of lettuce or vegetable scraps and two sheets of black construction paper. Have on hand a utility knife, tape or stapler, water and a plant mister, and newspaper to cover the work surface. The teacher or adult helper will cut a little door or flap in the upper third of the bottle. This access allows you to add your materials, feed the worms and keep the soil damp. Next, the teacher or adult helper should poke some very small holes in the sides of the bottle about an inch up from the bottom to allow for air circulation (and drainage should you add too much water). Place the gravel in the bottom of the bottle. This provides good moisture drainage and allows oxygen into the bottom.
Empty enough potting soil into the bottom of the bottle to fill it about 2/3 s full. Tap the bottle a few times on the table to let the soil settle, but don t pack it down. Water the soil lightly so it is just damp (a cup of water at the most). Now, you are ready for your worms! Your worms come packed with some shredded paper, soil and lettuce to feed them and keep them moist during shipment. Remove the shredded paper that is on top of the worms and set aside. The lettuce is on the bottom of the worm cup. Tip the bottle back slightly and gently pour the worms and their packing soil in through the worm door. Spread the lettuce around on top of the soil and press it down slightly so it makes good contact. Lay the shredded paper from the worm cup on top of the worms. Add some additional shredded paper from the packing box to cover the soil generously. Mist the paper gently to dampen. Make a worm farm cover using the two sheets of construction paper from your kit (which can be decorated first). The long sides and one of the short sides should be stapled or taped to fit over the bottle like a tent. Make sure it s sturdy because it will be pulled on and off many times as the class inspects their worms. Important: Do not cover worms until the end of the first day. They will try to hide from the light and burrow down into the soil. This will help them adapt to their new home. 4. Students sketch completed worm farm in journal, listing construction steps. 5. (Optional: complete the Worm Farm Flap worksheet by cutting flaps as indicated and gluing page 1 to page 2.) Students can life the flaps to reveal the elements of their paper worm farm. Label the layers. 6. During the coming weeks: a. Using a pencil or plastic knife to carefully turn over the soil, students will check if the worms have clustered about any vegetable matter. Have students describe what changes they see in the vegetables. b. Direct students to examine the soil around the edges of the bottle. Have the worms made tunnels along the sides of the bottle? c. Have students describe what changes they see in the vegetable matter and the condition of the soil around the edges of the bottle in their journals. After a few weeks, they may even find egg capsules or baby worms!
Journal Prompt: Here Come the Worms! Sketch your completed worm farm and list the construction steps. Optional Activities: Design an investigation examining the amount of vegetable matter worms consume. Teacher Tips: First, we would ask that you treat living organisms with respect and dignity and limit handling of worms to only what is necessary and required for the activities. The type of worms we send should NOT be refrigerated. They will not survive cold temperatures. The ideal temperatures are between 60 80 degrees Fahrenheit. DO NOT ALLOW THE SOIL TO BECOME WET. WORMS LIKE DAMP SOIL, NOT WET SOIL. After the worms are added to the worm farm, it is helpful to put your uncovered worm farm under a bright light or the grow lights for a few hours before you cover the farm with the black paper cover. This will encourage the worm to burrow deeply into their new home and they will be less likely to run away. After that, place the cover on the worm farm and move them away from bright light. Check daily to be certain the soil is damp and worms have enough green produce to eat. If you notice that the worms are eating the shredded paper, it is time to add more lettuce. While worms in larger worm farms eat all sorts of vegetable waste, we have found that by feeding your worms only lettuce, you lessen the chance that your farm will be invaded by fruit flies or gnats. If your lettuce is a little on the brown side, all the better for the worms! Please don t add your worms to the planting trays! They like deep soil and darkness and they are much happier in their farm. Worms may appear dormant or very slow moving when they are cold. They should be kept in a temperature range of about 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are worm farming during the winter in a cold building, it might be helpful to keep the farm in a warm area, like next to a computer CPU. Bubble wrap or other insulating material placed around the farm might also help to keep their home warm. If possible, the farm should be taken home over weekends or holidays. At the end of the program in the spring, the worms can be released outside, in a garden or
landscaped area, or in a compost bin. If it s winter you have a few options such as continuing with your farm until the weather warms up, releasing them into a compost bin or sending them home with a student (with the parents permission, of course). Safety Precautions: Wash hands before and after activity. Instruct students not handle materials until directed by teacher. Additional Resources: http://www,wormvideoclips.com/worm-cocoons/worm-birth/ (very cool video of an earthworm birth )
Unit 1Lessons