Earthworms Week: Studying Earthworms in a Montessori Elementary Classroom
Earthworms Week: Studying Earthworms in a Montessori Elementary Classroom
Down in the dirt, under your feet, thousands of worms wiggle and wriggle free. Loosening soil as they twist and turn, they create tunnels for rainwater to trickle down, providing a drink to thirsty, growing plants. With more than one million earthworms found per acre of soil, these wiggly, wriggly creatures present opportunities for children to learn and explore packed with fun! Help your Elementary students learn about these fascinating creatures during Earthworm Week - February 13th-17th!
Montessori Classroom Activities
- Examine the parts of an earthworm
- Measure earthworms
- Use Earthworm Watch to identify the worms as mature or immature and deep-living, surface-feeding or soil-feeding
- Build a worm farm
- Make a worm composting bin
- Learn about the earthworm life cycle
- Use worms to study fractions
- Plant a garden
- Go on a worm hunt
Montessori Classroom Materials
- Parts of an Annelid Three Part Cards
- Parts of an Annelid Puzzle
- Life Cycle of an Earthworm Puzzle
- Life Cycle of an Earthworm Objects
- Life Cycle Board
Books
- An Earthworm’s Life by John Himmelman
- Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer
- Yucky Worms: Read and Wonder by Vivian French
- Worm Weather by Jean Taft
- Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
- Garden Wrigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard by Nancy Loewen
- Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- The Book of the Earthworm by Sally Coulthard
- The Wonderful World of Wigglers: Exploring the Mysteries and Magic of the Mighty Earthworm by Julia Hand
- Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser
- Earthworms: Discover Pictures and Facts about Earthworms for Kids! by Bold Kids
- Curious About Worms by Kate Waters
- Worms (What Lives in the Dirt?) by Susie Williams
- Let’s Look at Earthworms by Suzanne Paul Dell’Oro
- The Life Cycle of an Earthworm by Bobbie Kalman
- Wiggling Earthworms by Laura Hamilton Waxman
- Wiggly Earthworms (No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates) by Natalie Lunis
Resources
- Worm Watch - Field Guide to Earthworms
- The Earthworm Society of Britain - Identifying Earthworms
- National Geographic - The Common Earthworm
- BBC - Did you know? Worms
- Worm Composting: How to Make a Wormery
- National Geographic Kids - Earthworm
About the Author
Heather White, EdS, is a Montessori Coach & Consultant, a Montessori teacher trainer, and a blog writer and content creator. Formerly, she was a Montessori teacher, Lower Elementary coordinator, associate head of school, and a Montessori nanny/in-home teacher. She also has experience as a School Psychologist intern. She is AMS credentialed (Early Childhood, Elementary I) and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Contact her at hpratt@stetson.edu.