Overview:
The class will develop an ecosystem for red wiggler worms to live in and observe their suitability to the ecosystem. This activity will be ongoing throughout the unit on ecosystems. This lesson in focused on the third grade level.
Objective:
The students will be able to create an ecosystem suitable for red
wiggler worms and observe their actions in this ecosystem.
TEKS:
Systems (8) Living Organisms Needs - food, water, light, air, waste
disposal,environment - (a) observe and describe habitats within ecosystems. (d)
describe how organisms modify environment to meet their needs. (9) Adaptations
Increase Survival of Species (b) analyze adaptive characteristics.
Materials:
Getting Ready: The teacher will need to research the appropriate ecosystem for red wiggler worms. The teacher will also need to learn about ecosystems in general.
Motivate: Bring in the worms and the students will be extremely motivated.
Activity: As a class we will be preparing a proper ecosystem for red wiggler worms to live and reproduce in. First, we will need to place moist newspaper along the bottom of our container. Then, we will place a small amount of soil on top of the newspaper. After this is prepared the worms are placed in their new home, ready to be observed, and cared for. On a daily basis the class will moisten the area, using a spray bottle, and feed the worms. They eat such things as coffee grounds and banana peels. As we observe these worms we should see them creating more soil as well as reproducing. The students will also journal about their individual observations on a daily basis in order to track the progress of the class worms.
Concept Discovery: The reason (way) the worms are making new soil is by excretion. When they waste new (good) soil is produced. This soil is hard to come by because it is expensive, so it is helpful to have our worms do the work.
Going Further: This activity will extend throughout the year and the students will be given an opportunity to take the worms home and start their own worm farm. We will also study the functions of our class worms, through the creation of our ecosystem.
Closure: At the end of each day we will discuss the changes we see in our ecosystem and how we feel it is working for the worms.
Assessment: The teacher will read the students journals to see that they are gaining understanding from the worms and their ecosystem, and that they are taking the time to observe and care for the worms.
Connections:
Reading Language Arts: The students will write in their journals on a daily basis. They can also write an article for the school newspaper to inform the school of the ecosystem we have created.
TEKS: 3.18 Writing/writing processes (D) edit for appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, and features of polished writing (F) demonstrate understanding of language use and spelling by bringing selected pieces frequently to final form "publishing" them for audiences.
Mathematics: The students can create a graph to track how manv worms we are reproducinq in the ecosystem.
TEKS: Grade 3: Probability and Statistics (14) Displaying and Interpreting Data: collect, organize, record, and display data in picture and bar graphs; interpret information from graphs.
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