National Park Service
Reduce Our Carbon Footprint, Let’s Compost!
Roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty with this elementary and middle school compost lesson plan. All you need is a large plastic container, a couple old newspapers, some organic waste, and a few hundred worms and you're ready...
Captain Planet Foundation
Worm Your Way Out of This
How can you provide healthy soil for your garden? Study worms, bacteria, and other microorganisms in a lesson about decomposition and organic compost. After discussing what you know about worms and watching a video, watch what worms do...
Curated OER
Cows, Worms and Compost
Third graders explore agriculture by viewing a PowerPoint presentation in class. In this animal relationship lesson, 3rd graders identify the types of farm animals humans feed on and their dependency on such small insects like worms....
Curated OER
Recycling and Composting
Students set up composting sites that allow food scraps and paper to be recycled by nature. They are introduced to one aspect of recycling; composting. Students see how God recycles as the worms change garbage into something that brings...
Curated OER
Red Worms Rock!
Second graders measure red worms. In this instructional activity, 2nd graders observe and collect data on red worms. Students measure the red worms and create a graph with the data they collect.
Curated OER
A Design You’ll Dig: Designing a Habitat for Worms
Learners discover how worms contribute to the balance of the environment. For this composting lesson, students study the composting and decomposition processes. Learners then create habitats for worms that allow them to do their jobs.
Curated OER
Life In the Soil: Home Sweet Home: Red Worms
In this soil worksheet, students complete 2 pages about the importance of soil in plant growth. Students read about red worms and answer 2 questions about composting. Students fill out a chart with their observations of plants planted in...
Curated OER
Build an Indoor Compost Bin
Students write an essay to describe the contents of a compost bin. For this composting lesson, students create a compost bin. Students examine soil for its contents and explains in an essay the impact of the soil on the environment.
Curated OER
Worms and Spiders: "Critters That Crawl"
Students complete a unit of lessons on spiders and worms. They discuss worm and spider characteristics, create a garbage garden, observe worms, create gummy worm prints, read the book, 'The Very Busy Spider,' and construct a spider and...
Purdue University
Getting the Dirt on Decomposition
Sometimes science requires getting a little dirty. A hands-on lesson explores the idea of decomposition by building a compost structure. Using red worms and dirt, individuals build and collect data on the rate of decomposition. The STEM...
Science Matters
Crawly Composters
Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...
Curated OER
Can Worms See?
Second graders discuss the previously created worm compost and the importance of living creatures to the Environment. For this worm lesson, 2nd graders observe worms and record their sensitivity to light. Students design a petri...
Curated OER
Let's Build a Worm Bin
Students explore the process of decomposition. In this ecology and measurement lesson, students prepare a worm home to be used for vermicomposting. Students weigh a group of worms and the added food, recording this information on a data...
Curated OER
Worm Composting
Second graders discuss worm composting. In this decomposition lesson plan, 2nd graders look at the anatomy of the worm and how it eats food. They have their own worm bin and review what foods can and can not be given to the worms for...
Curated OER
Composting and Mulching
Second graders define composting and recognize what can be composted. In this composting and mulching instructional activity, 2nd graders classify objects or pictures as good or bad for composting. Students write a story about life...
Curated OER
Compost in a Bag!
Fourth graders experiment to see which objects decompose. In this compost lesson plan, 4th graders observe the changes of labeled objects in a bag. Leave the objects for one month and record the changes by observation and weight....
Curated OER
Worms! Nature's Recyclers
Third graders explore the process of composting. In this composting lesson, 3rd graders read the book Wonderful Worms, and create composters.
Curated OER
Collecting Compost
Students observe a composting box. For this soil lesson, students create a composting bin by using a bin, newspaper, worms, and food scraps. Students create a composting food web.
Curated OER
Causal Patterns in Ecosystems Section 3
Students design and create a worm and worm free compost tanks for observation of decay in ecosystems. They make predictions, care, and revist tanks using their journals for observation and data collection.
Curated OER
Nutrients Nutrients We Need
Second graders examine the six nutrients humans need to maintain good heath. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 2nd graders learn about how plants grow and compare how humans need nutrients from plants to how plants need nutrients...
Curated OER
Red Wigglers
Students are introduced to the benefits of using Red Wiggler worms to produce compost. They identify the requirements for the worms and the methods to follow in order to produce compost. They draw a picture of a functioning worm bin.
Curated OER
Vermicomposting
First graders investigate composting. In this biology lesson, 1st graders identify ways to use garbage as fertilizer. Students examine soil and compost matter as well as the role of worms in the dirt.
Curated OER
Willie the Worm
Young scholars explore Earth science by participating in a compost activity in class. In this worm lesson, students discuss the importance of worms in the creation of plants. Young scholars cut out pieces from a print out to assemble a...
Curated OER
Building Soil Nature's Way: Exploring decomposition and soil health
Students explore decomposition and soil health by creating their own garden. In this agriculture lesson, students build a "lasagna garden" with organic matter found in the area and plant perennials native to their region....