Name: Emily Tittiger Topic: Earthworm Lab/Lesson

Date: September 24th, 2012 Grade: Second

SWBAT: Make observations between the two terrariums. SWBAT: State facts about earthworms. SWBAT: Create an observation log worksheet for the earthworms discussed in class.

STANDARDS: Science: 3.1.2.C2. Explain that living things can only survive if their needs are being met. Science 4.4.3.C. Use scientific inquiry to investigate what animals and plants need to grow.

PROCESS SKILLS: The student will use several process skills throughout the lesson: Observation Classifying Inferring Communicating

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Two large glass jars with lids Soil Two fairly mature flower plants Peat moss Sand Gravel Two worms Cornmeal Coffee grounds Apple peels Lettuce Strawberries

INTRODUCTION: Have students sit in Circle Time at the front of the room. Ask students questions such as, Has anyone ever seen a worm when they were outside playing? Can you share anything with the class about worms? Where do you think worms live? What do you think worms like to eat? Do worms help us? Read Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer.

PROCEDURE: 1. Introduce students to the lesson topic, by asking questions to see how much students know about earthworms. Has anyone ever seen a worm when they were outside playing? Can you share anything with the class about worms? Where do you think worms live? What do you think worms like to eat? Do worms help us? 2. Read Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer. 3. Create two worm habitats. Students will examine the two jars and observe what is happening in them throughout the week. 4. Label the two jars: Jar 1 and Jar 2. 5. Fill the first empty jar (Jar 1) with potting soil and plant one of the plants in it. 6. Get the second jar and put a layer of gravel, to act as drainage. Then, continue layering the jar with alternate layers of potting soil, peat moss, and sand. Plant the second plant in this jar. 7. Explain to the students that worms live underground. 8. Allow each student to observe the worms on a table before putting them into jar two. 9. Put two worms into the second jar and allow students to watch as the worms wiggle through the jar. 10. Create a Worm Wonder Center and display the two jars for the class to observe. The children should focus their observation toward the plants growth, and also the worms activities. (The worms should be turning over the soil and start making tunnels throughout the jar). 11. Ask students What do you think will happen to jar one and jar two? The plants will grow differently Do you think the plant in jar one or jar two will grow more? Why? Jar two because the worms will help. What do you see the worms doing in jar two? They are turning over the soil and making tunnels. Why do you think jar twos flower grew more than the flower in jar one? The worms helped give the flower more nutrients. 12. Explain to the students what kind of food worms like to eat. 13. Allow students to take turns spraying each plant with water in jar one and jar two. Also allow students to feed the worms in jar two with cornmeal, coffee grounds, apple peels, lettuce, or strawberries, and explain to students that this is food the worms will eat. 14. Allow time for the students to go to the classroom Worm Wonder Center in order to observe the worms, as they learn more about worms in depth in class. 15. Ask students concluding questions about worms, such as Where do worms live? What did worms eat? Do worms help us?

16. Hand out Our Wiggling Worms worksheet, where students will have to draw their observations for both jar one and jar two, then write at least three facts about earthworms that they have learned. 17. Students will share what they observed and learned about earthworm from the Worm Wonder Center.

CLOSURE: Once again, have students sit in Circle Time in the front of the classroom. After students finish Our Wiggling Worm worksheet, have each student share their observations with the class. Once again, ask the questions: Where do worms live? What do worms like to eat? Do worms help us?

ASSESSMENT: The students will be assessed on their understanding of the lesson by a writing activity link. The students will have to draw what they observed from jar one and jar two. The students will then have to write about each jar, what they have observed, and what they have learned from the lesson.

Multiple Intelligences: Visual/Spatial Body/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Linguistic Logical/Mathematical

Instructional Strategies Used: Discovery Learning

 Discussion

Cooperative Learning Simulations Debate Questioning Lecture Concept Formation

Our Wiggling Worms!

Draw your observations (what you see) :

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JAR 1 JAR 2

Write a paragraph (3-4 sentences) about what you learned from our wiggling worms!

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