Course Sample
Unit 1: All About Worms—The Good, the Bad, and the Yucky!
Pardon my appearance, I’ve been on my knees investigating a rotten log in Pine Knoll Forest. I love the forest floor; damp, dark, and teeming with life. Oh sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Robin Bird, and I am a Junior Scientist.
What was I investigating? Well, like a pig snuffling for truffles, I had my nose to the ground fascinated by invertebrates. Worms are my specialty. Actually, my friends call me the Worm Whisperer. My older brother, Jay, calls me a worm weirdo, but that’s because he is clueless and doesn’t understand how valuable they are.
Do you think about worms? Maybe you do, when you see one or two struggling to cross the driveway after a rainstorm. But, what about when they’re snug in their earthly homes, out of site? That’s where they do their important work. They are really busy and productive. It’s amazing what they accomplish in silence.
Did you say you’d like to learn more about worms? Great! Let me take you on a “Worm Mission.” We’re going to explore the silent world of worms and not just the good ones. I think you’ll enjoy learning about the bad worms too. The yucky part of this study will really surprise you. So, grab a pen, a magnifier, and your Squirm Journal and let’s get started!
Hello Worm Amigos!
If you have a minute, watch this video I made to introduce you to some of the characters we’ll be meeting on our mission.
It’s always nice to meet a friend of worms and I am sure, as you do this study, you will notice worms and look at them in a friendly way. Let me start things off by telling a corny worm joke:
What kind of worm do you use for math? An Inch Worm!
(Just a side note: An inchworm is not a worm but the larvae from the Geometrid moth. I love word origins and this is a great one: This moth comes from the family Geometridae. The origin of this name, according to Dictionary.com, means geometer, “so called because the larva seems to measure the ground with its looping motion.” How cool is that? Later, in the Bad Worms study, we will meet a parasite that “loops” the same way. Stay tuned!)
Enough silliness! This first lesson is all about what makes a worm a worm. I like my own junior scientist term, “Wormology” and will be using it a lot, but the real scientific name for worm biology is Oligochaetelogy (ol-i-goh-keet-ol-ogy). It comes from the Latin scientific name of the Family Oligochaeta meaning “few setae” (bristles) and “logy” is Latin for “to study.”
Here is a simple breakdown of the thousands of different species:
- Marine Freshwater
- Terrestrial (The Good)
- Free Living
- Sedentary
- Some construct elaborate tubes and burrows
- Parasitic to man and animals (these are the Bad ones!)
First we are going to study the Good Worms. The Phylum Annelida (annelid means segmented worms) has 9,000 different species. There are three groups of the Terrestrial Earthworms.
Each one moves and grooves best in their specific soil environment.
- Litter Dwellers. Garden Worms. They live under fallen leaves and pine needles on the forest floor. Those were the guys I was observing under a rotten log at Pine Knoll Forest.
- Shallow Soil Dwellers. Red Worms. (Eisenia fetida). They live in the top 12 inches of soil and are great composters.
- Deep Burrowers. Nightcrawlers. (Lumbricus terrestris) This worm is important for land improvement. Because it likes to burrow deep in the soil and prefers to be undisturbed, it is not a good composter.
Earthworms are full of contradictions!
At first glance, earthworms aren’t much to look at, just a smooshy, pinkish tube with pointy ends. We are going to take a closer look at Lumbricus terrestris, and we’ll discover they are amazing creatures. The word “terrestris” is related to the word “terra” which means earth. That’s why they are excellent soil aerators. We’ll study each contradiction in depth.
Week 1:
Contradiction Number 1: They have no eyes, ears, or nose but they have senses.
Contradiction Number 2: They have a mouth but don’t have jaws or teeth.
Contradiction Number 3: Each earthworm is both male and female (hermaphroditic) but it still takes two earthworms to make baby earthworms.
Week 2:
Contradiction Number 4: They move but have no legs.
Plus Bonus Wormology: Cuckoo for Cocoons and The Amazing Circulatory System
I have some videos* I’d love for you to see. General Biology MCC provides additional explanations of body functions and structures. There is an excellent model view, specimen dissection and microscopic slides show cross sections.
My friend Cathy at www.cathyscomposters.com has great “micro” footage of worms under magnification. You can see worms pooping and check out some cocoons.
Now that you’ve been introduced to the world of worms, let’s take a closer look at three contradictions present in the world of worms. There are three printables, one for each contradiction, at the end of today’s lesson. Then practice what you’ve learned with Squirm Notes Week One!
*SchoolhouseTeachers.com note: Parents should closely monitor children’s use of YouTube and Wikipedia if you navigate away from the videos and articles cited in these lessons. We also recommend viewing the videos on a full screen setting in order to minimize your students’ exposure to potentially offensive ads.
