Earthworms Gross Me Out!!!!

               I don't know why, maybe it is partially because I am a girl, maybe it's partially because I have an older brother who loved to torture me, all I know is worms give me the heebjeebees!!! EWWWWW                                                                                          

       

             

              Earthworms belong in the Animal Kingdom. The major subdivisions of the animal kingdom are the phyla. Earthworms belong to the phylum Annelida. Earthworms have no skeleton. Their digestive track runs from one end of their body to the other!

                                                                

            I did not know that there are such major differences among earthworms. Did you know that "different species of earthworms are adapted to different climates (temperature and moisture) and to different soil types (high organic carbon content) to mineral soils (very low carbon content)? These adaptations are responsible for a wide range of physiological differences between earthworm species." (worm digest)

           Earthworms are very interesting, they breath by absorbing oxygen into their body surfaces and they cannot maintain a steady body temperature. Earthworms nutrition is mainly from organic matter in a wide variety of forms. The one thing that really grosses me out about earthworms is that they are able to regenerate amputated segments of the body.....YUK! This one of the main reason kids (especially young boys) love messing around with these crazy creatures!

                                                                                             

           "Worms are fascinating especially to kids. They are also an essential part of the environment, mixing up and breaking down organic matter. As they burrow deep into the soil, they also help with aeration. In the process, earthworms also leave behind worm casts (or waste), which contain nutrients that enrich the soil. Plants need these nutrients for healthy growth."(the kids garden)

 

**A neat project that I learned about while reading up on Earthworms that I may do with my students one day is start a Worm project. This will be a project where students will observe a worm for a period of 3-5 weeks. They will create a 'wormery', which is really like a temporary house for worms. They can be created in a variety of ways. Items like newspaper, sand, soil, manure, and a small amount of water to keep it moist go into these homes. The students will supply their food and keep their homes in a dark place. Children will have their own little 'pets' and will get to see first hand what the earthworm is all about!