In shades of red, orange and yellow with distinctive black spots on their backs, they love to climb over green leaves. As gardeners we have all come to love the earthworm and want our soil to hold as many as possible. I'm a firm believer that understanding the earthworm means we can understand how to help keep them. Sometimes they may enter drainage holes of containers sitting on the soil or sunken into the ground. The castings may clog the drainage as they accumulate in the container.
Students draw conclusions about worm body systems and worm senses.
They also hypothesize about worms' senses and to find out how the farming of worms can be used as a recycling effort and as a way of enriching soil. The site includes related handouts, worksheets, and hyperlinks. This lesson includes directions for a classroom display that may continue for months or even years with very little effort. Students may collect data or simply observe and discuss. Use it as part of a unit on Decomposition, Metamorphosis, Niches, or Habitats.