Exploring Earthworms Through Playdough

Room 21 dug deep into the world of earthworms this week, exploring their role as the silent heroes of our planet! Our journey began with a big question: Who is the Earth Mother and how can we help her?

We learned that healthy soil is key to a happy Earth Mother, and guess who plays a starring role in keeping the soil healthy? Earthworms!

To truly understand these wiggly wonders, we got creative. Our classroom transformed into a mini earthworm factory, with brown, pink, and red playdough becoming the building blocks for our very own earthworm models.

As we sculpted, we brainstormed everything we were learning about earthworms. "They don't have eyes, but they can feel things with their bumpy skin!" said Thomas, carefully adding texture to his worm. "They eat leaves and other things in the dirt, then they make these cool castings," explained Zane, shaping a little pile of brown playdough next to his worm. "Those castings are like worm poop, but they're good for the plants!" chimed in Ema, adding a touch of green to her model.

Through our playdough creations, we discovered the many ways earthworms contribute to a healthy Earth Mother:

• They tunnel through the soil, making air pockets for plants to breathe.
• They munch on leaves and other debris, breaking them down into nutrients plants can use.
• Their "castings" (worm poop!) are packed with these nutrients, making the soil super fertile.

By the end of our playdough session, Room 21 wasn't just holding earthworm models, we were holding newfound appreciation for these amazing creatures. We realised that even though they live underground and might seem slimy, earthworms are vital to the health of our planet.