Have you been asked to come up with a worm themed lesson plan for your Pre-K students? Are you in need of a handful of ideas to help you get started? If so, grab a cup of coffee and take a peek at some of mine. Perhaps you’ll find them beneficial. Here they are:
Science
Why not begin by teaching the children about a worm’s place in the food chain, its life cycle and its anatomy? The Bug Life website has excellent handouts that will help you to do just that. It also has a superb “Earthworm Factsheet” that I found helpful as well. The worksheets could be paired with various children’s books about worms. Two of the ones that I would suggest reading are Wendy Pfeffer’s “Wiggling Worms at Work” and Nancy Loewen’s “Garden Wigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard.” Both cover information connected to the creature’s significance and biology.
Depending on your budget, you may want to think about building a worm farm for your classroom too. On average, a 10 gallon size worm farm will cost you roughly $100 or more to create. Of course you could always build or purchase a smaller worm farm for much less. Regardless of the farm’s size, you’ll need housing materials, nesting supplies, food materials and starter worms. Most of those items may be purchased through department stores, garden shops and worm farms.
Math
Based on my experience, worms may also be incorporated into your children’s math unit with the aid of counting and measuring handouts. The TLS Books website has two “How Many Worms?” worksheets that you could utilize for such endeavors. The Education website has worksheets for measuring and counting worms as well. If you want to go beyond the worksheets, you could challenge the children to work with real or gummy worms. They could measure, count and sort them too. You can typically dig up a few worms outside or purchase them through a worm farm for a modest fee. As far as the gummy worms go, they are readily available for purchase through most candy related retailers.
Songs and Action Rhymes
Another way to keep the learning fun going is to incorporate the topic into songs and rhymes. In that regard, I’d suggest visiting the Museum Victoria, tes and Sutherland Children’s Centre’s websites. Each one contains worm related songs and action rhymes. Titles to consider utilizing are “There’s a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden”, “Slimy Worms” and “Herman the Worm.” There are also some adorable songs about dirt posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website that would be suitable for a worm themed sing-along. One of my favorites is “I Love Dirt.”
Arts and Crafts
Finally, when it comes to worm related arts and crafts, I’d recommend grabbing a copy of the “Wila Worm Tracer” handout posted on the Kids Soup website. You could have the kids trace, color and cut out the worms. Afterward, you could cover your classroom’s bulletin board with craft paper and transform it into a worm farm with the children’s handiwork. Of course you could also let the children make worm tracks with yarn and glue or sculpt worms with salt dough.
Source: Personal Experience
More from this contributor:
Super Earth Day Games and Activities for Children
Fisherman’s Guide to Starting a Worm Farm
Best 5 Earth Day Party Favors for Kids
Best Easter Snacks for Preschoolers
