Mystery 4: Do worms really eat dirt?

Which is NOT true about earthworms’ role in the environment?

• They mix and loosen soil

• They break down decaying plant material

• They eat plants’ roots

• They release nutrients plants need to grow

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Which of the following is NOT a good example of using evidence to support a claim about earthworms?

• Worms burrow underground and hide under things away from the light. Therefore, worms like darkness.

• Worms look a lot like caterpillars, which are pests. Therefore, worms must also be pests.

• Worms dig burrows and move the soil like farmers do with plows. Therefore, worms help plants to grow because they move and loosen the soil.

• Worm castings have more nutrients than the dirt around them. Therefore, worms are helpful to plants, because worms add nutrients to the soil that plants need.

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Which of the following correctly describes earthworms’ bodies and behavior? (choose 3)

• have soft, flexible bodies

• can move forward or backward

• have a dry, scaly outer layer

• live in burrows underground

• have large chewing mouths

How do you think certain characteristics make worms adapted (well-suited) to living underground?

• Worms live underground where it’s damp and dark. They can squeeze through tiny gaps in the soil.

• Worms live underground, but have a hard time becaus eits damp and dark. They can't squeeze through tiny gaps in the soil.

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TRUE or FALSE: Worms are the ONLY kind of decomposers

• True

• False

Imagine you had a box split up into 5 parts:

Only soil - 3/4 soil 1/4 sand - 1/2 soil 1/2 sand - 1/4 soil 3/4 sand - only sand

They got 5 worms and put all 5 into the box at the same time, at the end of the box with only soil.

They waited for ten minutes, and they found that all 5 worms stayed in the end of the box with the soil. They concluded that worms prefer soil with no sand.

QUESTION: Do you think this is a fair test?

• Yes, this a example of a fair test. The worms could go wherever they wanted.

• No, I don’t think this is a fair test because all the worms started on one side.

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