Earth Worms

Science Lesson

Thursday 4th March

Where do earthworms live?

Earthworms live underground in moist soil.

They create tunnels in the soil and wiggle in and out of them.

How do earthworms breathe?

Earthworms do not have noses.

They breathe in oxygen through their skin.

Worms get their oxygen from the damp soil. 

If the soil is too dry or too wet the worms cannot breathe the oxygen and will die.

When it rains heavily and the soil becomes too wet, earthworms wiggle to the surface of the soil.

What do earthworms eat?

Earthworms eat dirt, leaves and dead grass. They also eat plants, fruits and vegetables.

Earthworms are herbivores – this means they do not eat meat.

What do earthworms look like?

Earthworms do not have eyes, ears or noses. This means they cannot see, hear or smell.

However they do have mouths so they can taste, and skin so they can feel.

They also have tiny hairs on their bodies which help them to feel.

How do earthworms move?

Earthworms do not have legs. Instead, they have lots of little rings on their bodies called segments.

They move around by moving the segments.

Multiple Choice

Where do earthworms live?

• In the sky

• In moist soil underground

• In trees

Multiple Choice

How do earthworms breathe?

• Through their nose

• They don’t breathe

• Through their skin

Multiple Choice

What do earthworms eat?

• Meat and fish

• Insects

• Fruits, vegetables, plants, dirt, grass and leaves

Multiple Choice

How do earthworms move?

• They move around using their segments

• They jump

• They walk

Can I carry out a scientific enquiry?

Where do worms like to live and why?

- To make a poster about earthworms

- Think about the conditions they like to live in

- Upload your poster to GC

- Resources on GC assignment 

Worm charming

Worms will come up to the surface when they hear tapping or vibrations on the ground because they think it is raindrops. That’s why you can see birds stamping with their feet or knocking with their beaks in the garden – to mimic the sound of rain and lure the worms up.

You could use sticks and stones to tap on the earth, and pour some water on the ground with a watering can.

Try and find some soft soil.

Be careful not to harm any of them and remember to release them afterwards!