Garden Lessons: Worms! (Pre-K & Kindergarten)

Grade(s): Pre-K & Kindergarten

Lesson Objective(s): Students will read about worms and get to “investigate” them up close!

Ohio Curriculum Standard: Living things vs non living things

Supplies Needed

• Book: “Worms” by Laura K Murray

• 6 shallow bins filled with worms & soil (at least 8 worms per bin)

• Chalkboard or whiteboard (teachers should have in classroom)

• Hand lenses or magnifying glasses (25)

• 30 paper plates

• Poster board with “WORMS….” on top

• Spray bottle with fresh water

• Hand sanitizer

• Harmonica

Introduction (10 mins):

• Explain Topic: Worms. Ask class the following questions, kids take turns raising hands:

  • What letter does the word “Worm” start with?

  • Has anyone ever played with worms before?

  • Where do we usually find worms?

  • If you’ve touched worms before, What do worms feel like?

  • Where do worms live?

  1. Read “Worms” Book- ask students to keep a lookout for facts about worms!

     • pause to record observations on Poster board

     • Emphasize that we like worms in our garden because they eat our scraps & their worm castings” (worm poop) is really good for our soil.

  2. Review rules about touching worms

     • Worms are living things. How do we treat living things? How do we not treat living things?

     • All worms stay on tables, either in their worm box or on a paper plate. They don’t go on their ground, in pockets, on bodies, etc. We only touch worms with our hands. 

     • We don’t put worms in our mouths

     • We don’t throw, tear, rip, squeeze, or hurt the worms

     • Only allowed to touch/observe one worm at a time

Activity (15 mins)

• Students go to tables/stations. Volunteers can pass out 1 worm bin to each table/station & 1 plate & 1 hand lense to each student

• Can touch, feel, play, explore worms. 

  • Use hand lenses

  • As students make observations about the worms, write them on the “Worm” sheet

    • Ex. Worms are made up of different parts, all worms have a big chunky ring part in the middle, worms are soft

• After 5-10 minutes, worms & any soil goes back in their boxes. Students & volunteers clean up any tables. 

Wrap-up (5 Mins):

• End on Carpet, review: What did your worm feel like? Was it scary at first? Did you get more comfortable with them? Even though these worms are small, do they still need things to live?

Classroom Extensions:

Before or After: Read ANY book about worms, like “Diary of a worm.” The more comfortable students can get with the idea of worms, the better!