Phase I: Beginning the project
I have selected earthworms as the topic for the project to go allow with grandten project.
The reason that have brought a worm unit into classroom because student wanted know about worms and were digging in the dirt as this children are discover their environments while children are playing outdoors. We began the project by putting out a variety of books in both English and Spanish and materials related worms to engage the interest of the children. The teacher that work with have asked them to tell me what they see or had seen in earlier observations of the worms. These were a few of the comments they made:
What do you know about worm?
v Namely: “You get them dirt”.
v Brian: “They sleep in the dirt and in the water.”
v Jacquelyn: “They swim in the water and in the ground.”
v Jada: “ They have friends.”
v Genesis: “They crawl.”
v Kevin: “ Some people cook them to eat them.”
v Leaya: “ They wiggle when they move.”
v Anna: “ Worms like to hide and dig.”
v Jamie: “ They don’t have arms and legs.”
v Jasmine: “ Worms are brow-pink color.
After a discussion with the children about how worms would make a good topic for them to study, they talk how they could learn about worms. We soon realized that the children had limited prior knowledge of the topic. The teacher as a facilitator and me help them to come up with a list of questions they would like to investigate.
What you don’t know about worms?
What are worms?
What do worms eat?
Where do worms live?
How big are worms?
What do worms do?
Do worms play?
How long do worms live?
Are there different color worms?
After the classroom teacher of morning wrote these questions on a poster board which the teacher and I displayed in the classroom. The class time was “Skill Practices or Small Groups” time at the tables. Then next day children made some drawing of what they worms would look like. These questions created by teacher and the children helped focus the learning experience in a possible study of worms that I planned. Determine how content and process skills could be learned.
Mathematics
v Compare sizes and lengths of worms
v Guess the number of worms and then count them
v Talk about the pattern of the worms skin
Science
v Use a magnifying glass to watch how worms move, straws
v Compare different kind of worms
v Observe worm hatched
v Make a worm farm
v Soil Examination
v Since earthworm respond to vibrations, play instruments and watch them do a dance called the “Earthworm Wiggle.”
Social Studies
v Find out how worms help us
v Create a worm composting pile, adding leftover food from meals
v Learn how to take care for worms
v Make an exploration on the playground where kids could find worms
v Send notes home to families about the new study of worms and encourage them to think of ways in which they might become involved in the study
Art
v Use clay to make a representation of a worm
v Pour a puddle of colored water or mud on paper and let a worm crawl through it, creating worm tracks
v Create a photo album of the Worm Project
v Make observational drawing and paintings of worms inside and outside of the classroom
v Create a journal to record worm anecdotes and observations called, “All about Worms.”
Music, Movement, and Dance
v Listen to the song, Glow Worm,” and move around the circle area like a worm
v Singing a worm welcome compost song, sung to the tune of the Hokey Pokey, “ The Compost Song.”
Literacy
v Look at informational books about worms: Earthworms by Dorothy C. Hogner, Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies by Mel Boring
v Read storybooks about worms: Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
There is Hair in my Dirt, A Worm Story by Gary Larson
Worm by Jill Bailey
Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin
Compost, by Gosh! By Michelle Postman
Pee Wee’s Great Adventure, “ A Guide to Vermicomposting” by Larraine Roulston
Butterfly by Mariposa by Susan Canizares (bilingual)
Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen and Arthur Robins
I am a Caterpillar by Jean Marzollo
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (English and Spanish)
After exploring and telling with the children about worms, we were confused where the mouth and the tail were. I found a worm map that describes how we could identify the body part. We keep the labeled diagram at the art able table for reference.
Labeled parts of the earthworm
How an earthworm is born
Phase II: Investigation and Representation
On the second day, during phase two, I had the worm farm in classroom while choose time so that children could look and see if they seen anything different in the plastic canter that held the worms inside. When it was night would cover the plastic canter with a black paper because worm like dark. When you take the black paper off you could see the tails that worms have made. What we feed the worms were mixture of rich soil, newspaper, and potato skins. It provides the children with opportunities for exploration where I could document their observation and findings.
Then children saw the difference in that the worms were able to hide in the soil and that they were able to burrow deep into the soil. The children were able to decide on their own that the worms used their mouths to dig. On the other side of the spectrum, when we put the worms into the water, they were able to see how they swim and move in the water. Later, in the afternoon, the teacher was able to show them to an area where they were ale to dig and find even more worms to add to the project. We kept track of the days on a chart. We responded to the children’s questions by providing them with classroom experience. The next week we changed the soil to create a composting pile, adding left over food from meals and then we added more newspaper and different kinds of food like eggs shells, onionskins, carrots, bread, celery, peaches, pears, and leaves. This compost was made in bigger plastic bin with a lid.
What children from feed farm of worms:
v Jamie: the eat potatoes, leaves and grass
v Gensis: Tomatoes
v Nather: Apples
v Keith: Eggs shells and celery
v Avanna: Apricots
The type food that we used to feed our worms was leftover foods that were going to turn into composting. The student asked if could feed to the worms and just we did. When we were outdoors, we measured the worms, and the children discovered how long the worms can grow. The children also discovered that when they touched the other end, it got bigger and expanded. We counted the worms that we had in the compost, and we ended with twenty-seven worms. Children also traced the outline of the worm with markers.
What do the worms look like?
v Rayn: They look like snake.
How do the worms move?
v Anna: They wiggle and crawl.
Phase III: Concluding the Project
Birth of the compost song:
As our worm project was winding down, we were able to motivate the children with a song that helped the students who have different learning styles. Each child had an instrument and we sang to the tune of “the hokey pokey.” Here are the words:
You put your wet green in.
You spread your dry browns out,
You add a little water and you stir it all about
You invite all your bug friends
To have a two-month feast,
Then shovel your compost out
Phase IV:
Culminating experience
During our project, the children have learning many areas as in mathematics, science, social studies, art and music, movement and dance. They have experienced these all within different areas of learning. In the worm project, the children have been helping putting information in their journals. These observations written in the journals were a tool that we were able to use to develop the topic and have the ability to put all of the information together once we were finished with the project. The art they had made throughout the project: posters, stories, paintings and all of this, art was displayed in the classroom. We also had information from all of the parents and guardians were sent a note about the new worm study. Parents will also be invited to an “open house “ once the project reaches its full culmination. The parents will have the opportunity to see their child’s work throughout the project. We also had a fun day were took children on a walk of the neighborhood experience nature and see the different things that the worms do in the world. Each student will be able to see that the different things around the community that grow all contribute to the miraculous cycle that the worms take part in.
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