Pour out earthworms on the large classroom tray. Mist to remove soil from around earthworms. This also makes earthworms active. What small animals spend most of their time underground?

Today the animal you will be observing is the earthworm.

Remind students about the safety rules of the science classroom. Go over some of the basic rules and show students where the posted safety rules are.

What do you know about the earthworm? Where do you see them? What are they doing when you see them in their natural habitat?

Remind students that they do not have to touch the earthworms but if they do they must treat them gently. Also, we are learning more about earthworms so we can understand what is positive and interesting about them.

Set up two materials distribution stations. Remind students about their management teams and the roles each student plays in the group. Send up the materials manager to grab two earthworms.

  Moles, ants, earthworms

Students share their experiences with earthworms. 

A few students say ooh, gross, yuk. Others are very excited. They live in the dirt.  They eat dirt.  They are slimy; they drown when it rains.

Hold up a worm in a clear plastic cup and show the students how to hold the cup up to the light to see the internal structure of the worms.

What do you see when you observe the earthworms?

Please draw in your journals, an outline of the worm with any internal and external structures that you observe.

What would happen if you added leaves?

Students add leaves and write what they observe.

What happened when we added a little water? What do you think would happen if we added too much? 

Teacher circulates around the room to help in the observation process.

Challenges students to find the head and then tail.

What is the wormÕs reaction to light, darkness, moisture and dryness?

Students make comments about what they see (specifically what do you expect them to see?).

Students draw what they observe.

 They will probably start to move!

The earthworms moved more.

The earthworms would die.

They move and get really active.

Teacher explains that earthworms will remain active if they are kept moist but not submerged in water.

Why do you think we need to handle the worms gently?

Teacher explains this while misting the earthworms again.

What do earthworms eat?

Is soil all they eat?

Students ask any questions that arise during teacher demonstration.

So that we do not harm them.

  Soil!

Maybe, maybe they also eat plants

What did you write in your journals about the inside of the worms? Did you see a dark tube? Intestine, blood vessels?

How did the worms respond to light and dark?  Why do you think this is so?

How did the worms respond to moisture? Why?

Add the earthworms to the terrarium.

Introduce the concept of adaptation and decomposition.

Explain that earthworms are ÒrecyclersÓ. They eat dead plants that are in the soil. Then they break the dead plants down into nutrients that were in the plants so they are in the soil again and are ready to be absorbed by new plant roots.

Conclude by reading ÒMore on EarthwormsÓ pg. 28 of GEMS guide.

Students discuss observations in small groups and then move to large class discussion.

Discussion in class: Why did we add earthworms?

Have we provided a successful habitat for an earthworm? How do we know? What will the earthworms do for our habitat? Please take out your journals; write a concluding paragraph on what you have learned and observed today. This will be used later or your presentation.

Teacher will observe terrariums after school today to make sure all groups have successfully completed added the earthworms.

For recycling and nutritional purposes.

Yes! We know because we have learned that they need soil, moist areas and plants to survive.