Animal Nature Study by Various Animal Nature Study by Various    

Lesson 35: The Earthworm

Performer: LibriVox - Claire Schreuder

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

• Read the story.
• Review the animal synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Learn the concepts.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

This lesson introduces earthworms, which are in a new group of animals called annelids. Annelids are also called the 'ringed worms' or 'segmented worms' and also include leeches. Earthworms are very beneficial to humans, known as Earth's original farmers, plowing the land, fertilizing the land, and adding tunnels in the soil for drainage. Earthworms dig anywhere from mere inches to eight feet under the soil's surface, breaking up the soil with the sand and gravel in their gizzards. Earthworms plow the land by bringing soil to the surface and dragging organic matter such as seeds, leaves, flowers, and animal bones under the surface. Earthworm stomachs add lime to fertilize the soil, just like human gardeners. For clinging and crawling, earthworms use tiny bristles on the undersides of their bodies called setae. Their muscles also aid in movement, which earthworms contract and expand. Earthworms can feel vibrations, but cannot hear. They can sense light and darkness, but have no eyes. They cannot smell much, but their senses of taste and touch are well-developed. Earthworms dig tunnels which end in a larger chamber, where they hibernate during the winter. Earthworms are nocturnal, not appearing by day unless they are rained out of their burrows. Earthworms are omnivores, eating earth, leaves, flowers, meat, and even fellow earthworms. An earthworm begins life as a yellow-brown football-shaped cocoon containing between one to five worms. Tiny white worms hatch from these cocoons and grow into reproducing adults in around six weeks.

Vocabulary

Fertilize: Make soil or land more fertile or productive by adding suitable substances to it.
Lime: A white caustic alkaline substance consisting of calcium oxide.
Organic: Derived from living matter.
Nocturnal: Done, occurring, or active at night.

Concepts

Earthworm anatomy includes the following parts:

1. Segment: Each of the series of similar anatomical units of which the body and appendages of some animals are composed, such as the visible rings of an earthworm's body.
2. Clitellum: A raised band encircling the body of oligochaete worms and some leeches, made up of reproductive segments.
3. Proboscis: Extension of the upper lip used to push food into the mouth.
4. Pharynx: Muscular pump that draws food into the earthworm.
5. Crop: A pouch where food is stored or prepared for digestion.
6. Esophagus: A narrow tube connecting the pharynx to the crop.
7. Gizzard: Muscular organ with sand or fine gravel, used for grinding up food or earth.
8. Setae: A stiff hair-like or bristle-like structure, especially in an invertebrate.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

• After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Learn How to Find Earthworms

• Locate some dark, moist soil around your house or in the woods or a nearby field.
• Dig carefully in the soil using a spade or shovel to find earthworms.
• Dig up a pile of earth so that it is soft and loose and place an earthworm on the pile. How long does it take the earthworm to submerge itself?

Activity 3: Classify the Animal

• Earthworms are animals, invertebrates, and annelids.
• Trace which categories earthworms fit into on the classification chart.

Activity 4: Color and Label an Earthworm   

• Click the crayon above. Complete page 72 of 'Science Field Book for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Take a Nature Walk

Take a nature walk, locate an earthworm or other animal to observe, gather data and notes, and use that information to create a field book entry. You may wish to take a pencil and a small notebook to jot down sketches and observations. If you can't find an earthworm, you might make a sketch based on the video in Activity 2.

Before you take the nature walk, review:

• The field book template you'll later complete on page 73 of 'Science Field Book for Second Grade.'
• The suggested list of observations below.

Behavioral observations include:

• How does the earthworm move?
• How does the earthworm eat?
• What does the earthworm eat?
• How does the earthworm sense the world?

Habitat observations include:

• Does the animal live in a forest, a field, a town, or near water?
• In what type of climate does the animal live (e.g. temperate, tropical, arid, arctic)?
• In what type of house does the animal live?

Appearance observations include:

• What color is the body?
• Can you find the proboscis?
• How many legs does it have?
• How many segments does it have?
• How many antennae does it have?

Activity 6: Complete a Field Book Entry   

• Click the crayon above. After your nature walk, complete page 73 of 'Science Field Book for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

How do earthworms crawl?

1 / 9

Answer 1

For clinging and crawling, earthworms use tiny bristles on the undersides of their bodies called setae. They also move using their muscles, which they contract and expand.

1 / 9

Question 2

Do earthworms have legs?

2 / 9

Answer 2

No, an earthworm does not have legs.

2 / 9

Question 3

How well do earthworms hear?

3 / 9

Answer 3

Earthworms cannot hear. They are deaf.

3 / 9

Question 4

How well do earthworms smell?

4 / 9

Answer 4

Earthworms have a well-developed sense of smell.

4 / 9

Question 5

Describe the home of earthworms in which they hibernate for the winter.

5 / 9

Answer 5

Earthworms dig tunnels which end in a larger chamber, where they hibernate during the winter.

5 / 9

Question 6

How are earthworms like farmers?

6 / 9

Answer 6

Earthworms plow the land, fertilize the land, and add tunnels for drainage.

6 / 9

Question 7

Are you more likely to see earthworms by day or by night? On a hot sunny day or a rainy day?

7 / 9

Answer 7

Earthworms are nocturnal, so they come out at night. However, they are often seen on rainy days when they come to the surface to avoid being drowned in their burrows.

7 / 9

Question 8

What do earthworms eat?

8 / 9

Answer 8

Earthworms are omnivores, eating earth, leaves, flowers, meat, and even fellow earthworms.

8 / 9

Question 9

Are earthworms friends or foe to humans?

9 / 9

Answer 9

Earthworms are very beneficial to humans as they improve the quality of our soil for growing food.

9 / 9

❮ ❯

1. How do earthworms crawl? For clinging and crawling, earthworms use tiny bristles on the undersides of their bodies called setae. They also move using their muscles, which they contract and expand.
2. Do earthworms have legs? No, an earthworm does not have legs.
3. How well do earthworms hear? Earthworms cannot hear. They are deaf.
4. How well do earthworms smell? Earthworms have a well-developed sense of smell.
5. Describe the home of earthworms in which they hibernate for the winter. Earthworms dig tunnels which end in a larger chamber, where they hibernate during the winter.
6. How are earthworms like farmers? Earthworms plow the land, fertilize the land, and add tunnels for drainage.
7. Are you more likely to see earthworms by day or by night? On a hot sunny day or a rainy day? Earthworms are nocturnal, so they come out at night. However, they are often seen on rainy days when they come to the surface to avoid being drowned in their burrows.
8. What do earthworms eat? Earthworms are omnivores, eating earth, leaves, flowers, meat, and even fellow earthworms.
9. Are earthworms friends or foe to humans? Earthworms are very beneficial to humans as they improve the quality of our soil for growing food.

References

Comstock, Anna Botsford. Handbook of nature-study (Twenty-fourth edition). Ithaca, New York Comstock Publishing Company, Inc, 1911.

'Annelid.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.