Garden Lessons: MORE Worms! (Pre-K - 2nd Grade)

Grade(s): Pre-K - 2nd

Lesson Objective(s): Students learn about worms & create a “worm farm”

Ohio Curriculum Standard: Living things cause changes in it’s environment, Basic needs of living things, Living vs non-living

Supplies Needed

• Books about worms

• 1 Large bin with worms

• WORMS Worksheet, cover page, and several examples of one filled out

• Coloring pencils or markers

• Snack that has waste that is worm-friendly (like bananas)

• Extra rotting cabbage leaves (for worms)

• “WORMS” Poster from first worms class (that has facts about worms on it)

• post it notes & marker

• Two jars with soil & cheese cloth w rubber band across top of jar, per class

• Hand lenses or magnifying glasses

• Worm-friendly compost & shredded newspaper

• 10 small paper plates

• Spray bottle with fresh water

• Hand sanitizer

• Harmonica

Introduction (2-3 mins):

• Review what we did last class: learned about worms

• explain that today we are going to go to different stations:

  • station 1: Touching earthworms & making a “worm hotel”

  • Station 2: Reading a book about worms

  • Station 3: Making a class booklet all about worms

Station 1: Making a composting worm “hotel”

• Eat a small snack that has a “worm-friendly” waste included (for example, a slice of banana)

• 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

• Students can dig in the worm bin and find a worm. Examine the worm for a couple minutes. What does it look like? What does it feel like?

• Show students the jars: two mason jars, filled with black soil, covered with black paper to keep light out.

  • one jar, labeled “WORMS,” each student can add a worm to

• Have students tear and add banana peel (or some other worm-friendly food), some cabbage leaves, and shred some newspaper. Add these things in the “Worm hotel.”

Station 2: Reading

• Have the classroom teacher read a grade-appropriate book about worms to students. Bring a couple for the teacher to choose from, to make sure it matches as much as possible with the students’ level and vocabulary.

• Alternative- if outside in the garden, have students dig for worms in an empty bed.

Station 3: Making a class booklet

• Show students the “WORM” Worksheet. Have everyone come up with a short sentence about their Worms. Use information from the book, and information from the poster created last class, to guide you. For example, “WORMS…”

  • are slimy

  • have 5 hearts

  • breathe through their skin

  • are living things

• have a few examples of the worksheet to show students: Have a sentence about worms at the bottom, and a picture drawn to demonstrate the sentence.

• Encourage them to get creative! Try to guide student to make a different sentence than other students.

• Younger students, like Pre-K through 1st grade, may need extra help creating a sentence, and with words. Feel free to write the sentence with these students, pointing out letters and sounds as you write, but make sure they are drawing the picture.

Wrap-up (5 Mins):

• End on Carpet

• Show students the two jars- one with worms, leaves, soil, + food scraps, one with only leaves, soil, + food scraps. Make predictions on post-it note & stick to jar

  • Ex. worms will eat the food scraps

  • Worms will create tunnels

• Staple booklet, leave for class

Classroom Extensions:

Continue watching the worm jars, checking on them once a day or every few days. What do we notice? Can we see the worms in the jar?