Have you ever looked at an earthworm with a magnifying glass? If not, now is the time! Go outside and find an earthworm in the soil (… they are totally safe to touch). Earthworms like moisture, so find an area that is frequently exposed to water: near a garden hose, by a pond, next to a fountain, etc. Pick up the earthworm and gently place it onto a clean surface (earthworms are sensitive creatures, so be extra gentle when handling the animal). Use a magnifying glass to investigate the worm’s features. Then, create a shine-a-light picture of the earthworm label the picture with the following terms: segments, setae, citellum, anus, mouth.
Earthworm Shine-A-Light Picture
Materials:
Watercolor paints (I used Stockmar watercolors)
Thin watercolor paper (190 gsm/ 90 lbs)
Vegetable Oil
Different size brushes
Scissors
School Glue (I used the blue gel type)
Directions:
Create a background wet-on-wet painting. I used browns and yellows. My dimensions were approximately 2 inches times 5 inches.
Cover both the front and the back of your painting in vegetable oil. Let dry for 1 hour. Add another layer of vegetable oil. Let dry for 1 hour.
Using scissors, cut out a central window.
On a separate sheet of paper, paint any type(s) of vegetables. I chose radishes. Also paint some rocks.
Cut out the vegetables and rocks and glue them to the background.
On a separate sheet of paper, paint an earthworm (make sure that your worm fits inside the central window) and color in the background.
Use a black pen to add detail as well as labels. Be sure that your labels are outside the frame of the central window.
Cover both the front and the back of the earthworm in vegetable oil. Let dry for 1 hour. Add another layer of vegetable oil. Let dry for 1 hour.
Glue the earthworm to the central window.
Characteristics of Life Card Game
The purpose of this activity is to find sets of matching cards. The key is provided below. Be sure to take a picture of the correct assortment of cards before cutting them out and distributing them across the table. You will need a printer as well as scissors to create the playing cards. Your child’s goal will be to match each characteristic of life with the appropriate definition and earthworm example. Should you have any difficulties downloading the cards (it depends on your browser/ settings), please use the chat box below and I will email you a pdf.
