Worms For Dinner!

Yuck!!! I know, but it's true we have been having worms for dinner guest for the last 2 nights! They also have been our breakfast and lunch guests as well. You know you're a homeschooler when the jar that hold the worms has been sitting on your kitchen table for the last few days, even during meal times and it doesn't wig you out! (In part because if we put them somewhere else we may just 'forget' about them!)

The kids just finished up chapter 1 of their science book, Behold and See 5. The topic of this chapter? Do you want to take a guess? (I'll give you a glue it has to do with our guests).  The topic was the earthworm. We dug up earthworms from our yard Thursday afternoon and place them in a jar so we can observe them.

newspaper covering jar of worms

We decided to keep the jar covered in newspaper to help keep the jar dark and hopefully encourage the worms to tunnel at the edge of the jar were we could observe them. The book suggested this lab experiment. It said to feed the worms lettuce or apple peels and sprinkles of water.  The book also suggested the filter on top to allow air in but keep flies and other pest out. The food would atract flies.

Jar without newspaper.  The green stuff is lettuce.

We put all the dirt in first and then put the worms on top. We put in about 5-8 worms and had to remove 3 of them this morning because it was clear they didn't make it.  We had a few we thought would be iffy on survival, but thought we would give them a shot. We for sure we have 2 left in the jar. Out of the two we have left (maybe more) we only have been able to observe one.

The one we have been able to observe has been hanging out at the edge of the jar.  We have been able to see it eat and move along. I tried to get a close up of this worm, but it's a little hard to make out. I did my best to show you by circling where the worm is.

Thing inside the circle is the worm.

You can also see where this worm has been. The moisture trail that follows behind this worm shows you where he has been. In an attempt to show you this I have put red arrows in the picture below to point out the moisture and a purple line to show you the trail.