Worms are the perfect springtime life science theme. Here are 16 classic and creative activities with Earthworms or ideas to take learning about worms further.
You’ll love the ways to teach observation, creating worm habitats, writing about worms and Earthworm crafts too.
Observing Earthworms
1. Can Worms Smell – Set up a creative experiment to see if worms really can smell! You’ll love how simple testing out this theory can be with a paper plate and a few test objects like soap, apple, water and candy.
2. Worm Observation – Take observation to a whole new level with a window for an observation table, giant earthworm photos and how to pull worm observations into a class book. Classic!
3. Earthworms In a Day – Fun Life Science – Turn one whole day into a fun-filled learning day about earthworms. This is a great resource for having a “Worm Day” in kindergarten.
4. What Do Worms Eat – As an introductory lesson, have students share their thinking about what Earthworms eat. Create a class chart and then test it out when the worms arrive in your classroom.
5. Gummy Worm Vs. Earthworm – Bring in the life science concept of living and non-living with this comparison worksheet. Students can compare a live worm to a gummy worm.
Creating Worm Habitats
6. How to Make a Worm Tower – Using a 2 liter pop bottle and dark paper, you’ll have the perfect diy tutorial for making an Earthworm habitat. If you want to keep the worms closer to the visible parts of the container, add a paper towel tube to the middle to take up interior space.
7. Earthworm Home – Create the perfect large observation using a glass jar and a combination of soil and sand. Using both soil materials will mean your students can see the layers change as the worms churn the soil. A perfect DIY tutorial on making a worm habitat for in the classrooom, along with what to feed the worms to keep them alive.
Connecting to Worms
8. Worm Rhythm Dictation – If you’re bringing elements of music education into your worm fun, this rhythm dictation worksheet is perfect. Students color pictures to represent the note lengths as they listen to this classic silly song.
9. Making Connections With Worms – Read “How to Eat Fried Worms” and get them on the hook for starting out a week with worms by having them feel cooked spaghetti and more fun worksheets to engage kindergarten and first grade students.
10. Shel Silverstein Early Bird Worm Poem – If you’re like me then you love bringing in Shel Silverstein’s poetry into the classroom at any chance. Here is his “early bird” poem which could be a great starting point for a writing prompt about why worms should sleep in late or a creative writing piece.
Wormy Crafts
10. Apple Worm Craft – Use a popsicle stick and an apple die cut to make this cute pipe-cleaner worm sticking out of an apple. Cute for preschool or kindergarten. If you write poetry in first grade, this could be a cute addition to your display.
11. Earthworm Puppet – Use a handprint or fringe-cut grass to make a paper cup worm puppet. Create a crinkly segmented worm body with a tissue paper covered straw and googly-eyes. Punch a hole in the base of the cup to turn it into a puppet.
Earthworm Extension Resources
12. Frankenworms – Take learning about worms further by creating “frankenworms” using gummy worms. Students explore the scientific method by seeing a reaction when the candies are put in water with baking soda.
13. Anatomy of a Worm – Get to know “Squirmin’ Herman” the worm as you explore the body, clitellum, five hearts, how he moves and breathes and has light sensitivity. You’ll even love the quick parts quiz. An intereactive website about worms that is student friendly.
14. Earthworm Composting – Read about how composting can create an environment for breeding earthworms and find a link to a free lapbook download and recreate how a worm moves with a paper straw wrapper trick.
15. How Earthworms Help Grass Grow Graph – A neat infographic that is doesn’t shy away from using meaty language. Use this as a clever printable to add to your resources for students to use if they are researching benefits of worms.
16. Yummy and Quick Types of Soil Project – Tie your investigation into worms into the types of soil for third grade. Students will dig the edible project that includes gummy worms.
So there you have it! 16 creative and classic ways to teach worms – making your teaching life easier! Thanks to these generous teachers for sharing their best writing ideas with us – you ladies are great! Feel free to grab my “I’m a Featured Teach Junkie” blog button. You earned it!
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Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.