Explore the wonderful world of earthworms as your class learns about the requirements of animal life. After building soda bottle terrariums, students observe worms over the course of a couple weeks, building an understanding that all animals need food and water to survive. Consider swapping out the worms for a different animal to make for more meaningful and interesting observations. The lesson does require a fair amount of preparation, so be sure to plan ahead.

Additional Tags

requirements for animal life, necessities of animals, observing animals, science

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Pros

• Earthworm experiment engages children in learning about animal life
• The needs of animals are clearly demonstrated by comparing a living earthworm to a gummy worm
• Includes an activity that outlines the step-by-step instructions for building a terrarium

Cons

• Building the terrariums requires numerous materials not typically found in a classroom
• Requires explicit instruction regarding how earthworms acquire the air they need to survive