Children's Literature
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
" This is the diary of a worm. This worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, and even goes to school. But unlike you or me, he never has to take a bath, he gets to eat his homework, and because he doesn't have legs, he just can't do the hokey pokey – no matter how hard he tries. This hysterical picture book by New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin and New York Times bestselling illustrator Harry Bliss tells the daily doings of a small worm in a gigantic worm world." Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
"Kids everywhere are knowledgeable about the environment and climate change. Not only is composting becoming more common in households and residential gardens, but many school gardens feature compost piles, too. But how do you start a compost pile? What’s safe to include? Perfect for an Earth Day focus or year-round reference, this inviting book provides all the answers for kids and families looking for simple, child-friendly ways to help the planet." An Earthworm's Life by John Himmelman
"This book examines the life-cycle and daily activities of the earthworm from their point of view." |
Earthworms by Claire Llewellyn
"Part of a series which shows, in close-up color photographs and simple text, how to care for small creatures, this book shows how to find, house, feed, care for and observe earthworms. All the animals are easy to find in gardens, parks and open spaces." Listed as a Common Core exemplary text. Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer
"Crawling through the dirt, worms are hard at work, helping plants to grow. Worms help the fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the plants. Read and find out about these wiggling wonders! This book details worm's habits, anatomy, locomotion, food, and life cycles, as well as explaining the importance of castings and tunneling in maintaining soil richness, moisture, and aeration." A Handful of Dirt by Raymond Bial
"Soil may not be alive, but amazingly, multitudes of microscopic creatures live there, battling it out in an eat-or-be-eaten world. These tiny creatures, invisible to our eyes, provide food for the insects that in turn feed the reptiles and mammals that live in and above the soil. You'll never look at the ground you walk on in the same way after Raymond Bial, an award-winning photo essayist, takes you on this eye-opening, down-and-dirty tour of one of the earth's most precious resources." |
Websites
Composting with Willie the Worm
This kid-friendly website is sponsored by Michigan.gov and details how to make a compost. This would be a great resource to send home for students to share with their parents about the benefits of composting and the steps needed to make a compost pile.
This kid-friendly website is sponsored by Michigan.gov and details how to make a compost. This would be a great resource to send home for students to share with their parents about the benefits of composting and the steps needed to make a compost pile.
The Adventures of Herman the Worm
This website is a great resource for students to engage with information about worms. The website includes information on where earthworms come from and what they can do for the Earth. Students may like looking at the fun facts about worms and playing in the interactive Herman's Fun Place.
This website is a great resource for students to engage with information about worms. The website includes information on where earthworms come from and what they can do for the Earth. Students may like looking at the fun facts about worms and playing in the interactive Herman's Fun Place.
Discovery Kids: Make an Earthworm Bin
This website details how to make a worm bin for your classroom in order to study worms up close!
This website details how to make a worm bin for your classroom in order to study worms up close!
Resources for content integration
Math Connection
This activity comes from Read, Write, Think. The purpose of this lesson is to have students consider why it is important to have standard units for measuring. Students are asked to measure gummy worms using standard and nonstandard units, and then to compare how their measurements are similar and different from their classmates. It would serve well as a math center activity.
This activity comes from Read, Write, Think. The purpose of this lesson is to have students consider why it is important to have standard units for measuring. Students are asked to measure gummy worms using standard and nonstandard units, and then to compare how their measurements are similar and different from their classmates. It would serve well as a math center activity.
Physical Activity
This activity comes from STEM Mom at stemmom.org. Students can physically explore how worms react to different stimuli in the environment by acting out what worms would do in certain situations.
This activity comes from STEM Mom at stemmom.org. Students can physically explore how worms react to different stimuli in the environment by acting out what worms would do in certain situations.