Worm Bin Exploration
This activity is best done at least two weeks after setting up classroom worm bins.

Objectives:
1) To familiarize students with changes that occur during the decomposition process.
2) To overcome fears and foster an appreciation for worms and other decomposers.

Materials:
1) Active worm bins
2) Changes in Our Worm Bins worksheets or science journals.
3) Newspaper to cover desks
4) Plastic Spoons

Procedure:
Review the Starting Our Worm Bins worksheets or science journal entries from the start-up lesson. Discuss what the bins looked like when the class last saw them. Count the number of days that have past since starting the bins, and ask the children for predictions. What will the worms, food, newspaper and leaves look like now?

Cover the tables with newspaper and remind the students to avoid touching the worms with their hands. Worms "breathe" through their skin, and need to stay moist. It is better to hold the worms on a piece of wet paper. Pass out plastic spoons to use for exploring the bins, and then distribute the worm bins. This tends to be a loud activity as the children discover the life within each bin.

After a period of exploration, return all the worms and food to the bins. Collect the bins and ask the children to record their observations on their worksheets or science journals. What happened to the things in the bins? How many worms were found in each bin? What might the bin look like next time?

Extensions:
Over time, the worm population will grow. The children can use graphs to chart the population in their worm bin, and calculate how many worms they might find in a week.

Compare the Worm Bins to the Outdoor Compost pile. Which system has greater diversity? Which system decomposes biodegradable materials faster?

What items are biodegradable? Add a non-biodegradable object to each bin to test.

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