Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Students make a mini worm farm in a bottle and see exactly how worms move when underground.

These Snappy Science resources have been created to boost science education in primary schools across Australia. Each lesson is designed to support teachers with the scientific knowledge, ideas and resources to stimulate a sense of wonder and curiosity in their students. Many of the big issues that Australian society will face in the future are around technology, energy, resources and climate change. All of these require students to engage with science – but most of all to enjoy science!

Science at Home: These Snappy Science resources can also be used to engage families in fun science and learning for life. You can download a student friendly version of this activity here and you can also check out the Snappy Science Digital Library.

General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking.

Australian Curriculum content description: This activity is relevant to Science Inquiry Skills across all primary year levels of the Australian Curriculum.

Year 1 Science

  • Living things have a variety of external features (ACSSU017)
  • Living things live in different places where their needs are met (ACSSU211)

Year 3 Science

  • Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things (ACSSU044)

Year 4 Science

  • Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)

Year 5 Science

  • Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (ACSSU043)

Year 6 Science

  • The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

Syllabus Outcomes: ST1-10LW, ST1-11LW, ST2-10LW, ST3-10LW, ST3-11LW.

Time required: 10 – 15 minutes to construct a worm farm, 10 – 15 minutes observation time after 2 weeks.

Resources required: Large plastic bottle, soil, sand, dead leaves, water, earthworms, plastic food wrap, dark paper, pencil.

Safety advice: Depending on age or ability students may need assistance with cutting the top off the plastic bottle.

Keywords: Worm, worm farm.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Brief summary:

Students make a mini worm farm in a bottle and see exactly how worms move when underground.

Students can use the Predict, Observe, Explain table on the Student Worksheet to describe and reflect upon this experiment.

You will need:

  • Large plastic bottle
  • Soil
  • Sand
  • Dead leaves
  • Water
  • Earthworms
  • Plastic food wrap
  • Dark paper
  • Pencil

What to do:

Step 1. Cut the top off of a large plastic bottle.

Step 2. Fill the bottle with layers of soil and sand.

Step 3. Add 4 teaspoons of water to the soil and put dead leaves at the top of the soil.

Step 4. Dig around some soil outside and try to find 2 or 3 earthworms and add them to your soil.

Step 5. Cover the bottle with food wrap and poke some holes in it with a pencil.

Step 6. Tape dark paper around the sides of the bottle and place your bottle where it won’t receive any direct sunlight.

Step 7. Add 2 teaspoons of water each day to keep the soil damp.

Step 8. After 2 weeks, take the dark paper off. You s

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Student Worksheet

In this experiment you will be making a worm farm in a bottle so you can see what worms do all day.

Predict

Explain what you think will happen:

Observe

Explain what happened:

Explain

Explain why you think this happened:
...
 
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