Give a Worm a Bath

Time - 25-30 minutes

Student Outcomes
Given items from material list, student will be able to:

1. Observe the soil with hand lens.
2. Use the spoon to move soil around to observe properties of the soil.
3. Give properties of the soil on request.
4. Give the worm a "bath" with eye dropper and water.

Materials

• soil sample for each student (include a worm, leaves, rocks, bark, roots, etc.)
• paper plates
• cups
• hand lens
• water
• eye droppers
• spoons
• newspapers

Vocabulary

• properties
• observe
• living
• nonliving

Focus

Review the previous lesson. Ask the students what special item we located during the "I Spy" game? (soil)

Procedure

1. Designate the getters to come and get newspaper, paper plates, cups, spoon, magnifying lens, and eye droppers.
2. "I am passing out some soil to each of you. I want you to observe it carefully and identify things you find in soil. (Allow some time for students to observe soil and 'discover' their worm.)"
3. "What are some properties of your soil?" (soft, black, wet). "What are some things you have found in the soil?" (worm, rocks, leaves, bark, roots, etc.) As students give these words, list them on the board.
4. Soil is made up of living things and nonliving things. (label your lists on the board as such)
5. Pass out water and have the students give their worm a bath. "Worms live in soil. Soil is very important to worms; it is their home and it provides them with food."
6. "Can you name any other animals or insects which live in soil?" (snakes, ants, bugs, frogs, etc.)

Closure

After cleaning up, review what the students discovered. Ask them, "What are some things we found in soil?" (refer to the list on the board) Review the column of living things. "What did we call these things in this column?" (living things) Review the column of nonliving things. "What did we call these things in this column?" (nonliving things) "We also discovered that soil is very important to living things such as worms, because the soil is their home and the soil provides them with food."