This Lab Has Been Adapted from Science Buddies

Squirmy Wormy Lab

2nd Grade PSI

Teacher’s Notes:

· This lab has been adapted from Science Buddies:

Science Buddies Staff. "Squirmy Wormy: Which Soil Type Do Earthworms Like Best?"Science Buddies. Science Buddies, 30 Sep. 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2014 <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Zoo_p061.shtml>

· This lab is meant to be completed together as a class.

· Depending on the size of the container you use, you may need more than 1 cup of each “soil”. You want plenty of soil but you do not want them to be touching each other.

· Depending on the skill level of the students, the graph can be created individually or together as a class.

Squirmy Wormy Lab Name: ______

2nd Grade PSI

Introduction:

Plants are producers that can make their own food. In order to do this, however, they need sunshine, water and nutrients. The sunshine comes from the sky. A plant gets water and nutrients by taking them up in their roots directly from the soil.

If soil does not have plenty of water and nutrients, then it is unhealthy. Plants cannot survive in unhealthy soil. Luckily, there are animals that can help to create healthy soil.

Earthworms are decomposers that live in the soil. They break down dead plants and animals that fall to the soil. When they do this, the nutrients that were in the dead plants and animals are returned to the soil. Then, the plants can use these nutrients to make food.

Question:

What type of soil do earthworms like the best: sand, gravel, leaves or potting soil?

Write your hypothesis (your guess) below:

______

Materials:

· empty plastic box with a lid

· 1 cup dry sand

· 1 cup dry gravel

· 1 cup crumpled dry leaves

· 1 cup dry potting soil

· 4 mixing bowls

· Spray bottle filled with water

· 4 spoons

· 5 (or more) earthworms

Procedure:

1. Prepare each soil for the box. To do this, put 1 cup of each soil in a mixing bowl. Spray with water and mix with a spoon. The soil should feel wet to the touch but water should not be running from it.

2. Place one soil in each corner of the box.

3. Place the box in a cool space away from sunlight.

4. Put the earthworms in the center of the box.

5. Observe where the earthworms move first.

6. Cover the box with the lid and let it sit for 24 hours.

7. After 24 hours, open the lid and observe where the earthworms are located. Write the number of earthworms in each type of soil in the data table.

Earthworms Data Table

Not in soil / Sand / Gravel / Leaves / Potting soil

Analysis

Analyze your data by creating a bar graph. Follow these direction to create your graph.

1. How many earthworms did you use? _____

Write this number at the top of the vertical line (the y-axis). Write a zero at the bottom of the y-axis. Space the other numbers out evenly between the zero and the top of the y-axis.

2. For each category, draw a bar (a rectangle) that is as tall as the number of earthworms that were found in that type of soil. Use the numbers that you wrote in your data table.

3. Color in the bars.

Questions

1. Graphs are helpful because they take information and display it is a visual way. Look at your graph. In what type of soil were the most earthworms found?

______

2. In what type of soil were the least amount of earthworms found?

______

3. From this experiment, what type of soil do earthworms like the best?

______

4. Why are earthworms important?

______

5. How do earthworms make soil healthy?

______

6. What happens to dead leaves that fall to the ground in a forest?

______

This lab has been adapted from Science Buddies: