The Worm Farm: Learning by Looking

"Today we are doing an interesting experiment," explained Ms. Flaherty, our head worm farmer.  We are going to see how much we can learn just by observing.  Does anybody know what that means?"

"Looking," offered one of the kindergarteners in Ms. Breneus's class, and she was exactly right.

Before the kids took an up-close-and-personal look at the red wiggler worms in their worm farm, Ms. Flaherty read them a book to explain more about what they would be looking at.  The kids learned that worms have no eyes, no ears, no legs, no arms, no lungs, but that they are still very well suited to live their lives digging through soil.  Or, in our classroom, digging through coffee grounds and wet newspaper.  

Instead of legs, they have bristles on each segment of their bodies that help them move. Ms. Flaherty moved a Slinky to show them how having so many segments lets the worm turn and maneuver.

The kids already knew that worms need to stay moist.  So they each sprayed a piece of paper towel to get ready for their temporary guest. 

Then they each got a worm and a piece of apple.  Since the red wigglers love apple peels, the kids wanted to see if they would wiggle their way in the apple's direction.

Then it was time for each student to do exactly what scientists do. They learned by looking. The observations came fast and furious.

"Mine is a real wiggler."

"Mine is hungry.  It's moving toward the apple."

"The bristles are so tiny!"

"Mine is staying in the coffee dirt.  Maybe it's scared."

"It's so soft," says one scientist, carefully touching his worm."

"Mine loves its worm tunnel," said another, "but he didn't stop to eat some.  Why?"

That's science for you: It raises as many questions as it answers.

The Worm Farm: Paying a House Call

It's been a while since the red wiggler worms set up housekeeping in Ms. Breneus's kindergarten classroom.  In fact it was time for our gardening expert Ms. Flaherty to check in on them, to make sure they had everything they needed to be healthy and as happy as worms can be.

Off came the cover, so Ms. Flaherty could look at the wigglers.  She wasn't the only one who was curious.  The worms seemed to be okay; they were indeed wiggling.

One boy asked to hold a worm.  He had to learn to be gentle and not squeeze.  

He enjoyed it so much that Ms. Flaherty decided all the kids should have a chance.  Next week, she'll come and the kids will get to look closely at the worms like scientists and learn through observation.  Maybe we can bring some magnifying glasses so they can really get a good peek.

Ms. Flaherty explained that we didn't want the paper to dry out--or, the worms either.  So each student who wanted to could spritz the paper one, two, three times.

As Ms. Flaherty circled the room giving the kids turns, other students drew pictures of their new class pets.  Here is Emanuel's.

Brianna did a fine job too.

Making a Worm Farm

Ms. Murphy's second grade class elected a gecko to be their class pet.  Ms. Breneus's kindergarten class didn't have a choice about what their new pets would be.  Nevertheless, they are very happy. They have hundreds of red wiggler worms.

The Perkins School is a "seed" school for a program named SLUG (Students Learning through Urban Gardening).  Our wonderful volunteer Ms. Flaherty comes in regularly to work with many classes--including the kindergarten.  

You can't grow healthy plants without good soil.  One way to enrich soil is to make compost by letting leaves and old vegetables break down and become rich to soil to mix in with other dirt.  Another is to let worms do the work for you.

The kids set up their worm farm by putting shredded paper into a plastic box.  The worms would live in this paper; it would be like dirt to them.

 

If the worms lived in dry paper, they would dry out themselves.  So the kids added water, spraying it so it would just moisten the paper instead of making puddles.  Not too much.  Not too little.  Just the right amount.

 

Next came the food.  Coffee grounds and apple peels.  This may not sound delicious to you, but the worms love 'em!

Then it was time to move in.  

The worms all started out in the corner, but they don't like the light too much--even once the darker lid was placed on top of their new home.  What would they do?  Where would they go?  We'll have to wait and see.