Soil and Worm Composting Teacher Notes  

This Page URL
http://www.can-do.com/uci/ssi2001/soilandworms-t.html

UCI Summer Science Institute WebQuests - 2001
http://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/SEP/ssi2001/
 

UCI Science WebQuests from all years
 

Suggested Grade Level: 2 
 

• California Science-Grade 2-Earth Sciences -3c
• California Science-Grade 2-Investigation and Experimentation -4a, 4c, 4d, 4f, 4g
• Several areas of California Reading - Language Arts Grade 2 standards covered as well.

S.C.O.R.E. Lessons Standards Search by Grade and Subject
S.C.O.R.E. Standards and Framework
California Content Standards Grades K-12
California Content Standards Grades K-12 - Science - PDF Format
 
 

Background

• This Webquest was designed to be used with the STC Soils module, another classroom composting project and as a stand alone lesson. If you are teaching composting, your students may already have access to a composting bag or bin for hands-on study. If not it would be helpful to have some worms on-hand for exploration and observation (they are readily available at bait stores and through many retail resources on the web).
• Students need basic computer and internet skills to use this Webquest. A great resource for how to teach children the basics of the internet is at enchantedlearning.com

• Effective use of internet 
• Computer literacy 
• Making inferences 
• Content-area reading for information
• Reading comprehension
• Creative writing
• Following multiple-step directions

Assessment

Students can be assessed in many areas.

• Science notebook (writing, drawings, science notes)
• My Day as a Worm story
• Vocabulary based wordsearch
• Content-area reading and comprehension
• Multiple interactive quizzes
• Hands-on science exploration and experimentation (if you have worms for students to use)
• Technology skills

Enrichment

• Oral presentation of My Day as a Worm story
• Build a compost bin at home and maintain it (resources are listed on student page)
• Set up a school-wide composting project
• Have students be involved in implementing a project in the cafeteria.
• Investigate other ways of composting (other than vermicomposting)
• Activities from Worms Eat Our Garbage by Mary Appelhof
• Hands-on science exploration and experimentation of compost remains and worm castings
• Technology skills
• Other commercial resources to extend the curriculum