Title of Lesson: Worms!

Age/ Grade level: Kindergarten

Class Profile: Class of 16 students ranging from 5-6 years of age.

Content Area:
Rationale and Relevance:
● Skills taught in this lesson will
○ Be able to verbally characterize worms in a whole group setting

Content Standards:
● Physical Science
○ Objects can move in a variety of ways that can be described by speed and
direction
■ Observe, investigate, and describe how different objects move
○ Objects can be sorted by physical properties, which can be observed and
measured
■ Observe, investigate, and describe how objects can be sorted using their
physical properties
■ Explain why objects are sorted into categories
■ Sort a set of objects based on their physical characteristics, and then
explain how the objects are sorted
● Life Science
○ Organisms can be described and sorted by their physical characteristics
■ Sort a group of items based on observable characteristics
■ Communicate and justify an evidence-based scientific rationale for sorting
organisms into categories

Big Ideas: Improve student ability to comprehend printed text, parts of a story
Inquiry Questions:
● What do know about worms already?
● What questions do you have about worms?
● (At end of lesson) What have you learned about worms? Have your questions been
answered?
○ If no: How can we find answers to the rest of your questions?
● Specific focus questions (will be used today):
○ What do worms need to live?
○ What are the parts of a worm?

Evidence Outcome:
 ● Students will be able to verbally describe 2 or more characteristics of a worm
independently in a large group setting
● Students will be able to write

Name of Lesson Worms!

Time 20-40 minutes

Materials ● Large open area for children to gather

as a whole group
● Whiteboard and marker and eraser to
record questions and facts learned
● Book about worms

Procedures ● Have whole group sit at circle rug and

open lesson with brain warm up game
● Show whole group video of worms to
spark interest and inquiry
● Ask students what they know about
worms/ what questions they have
about worms
● Introduce new vocabulary from book
before reading
○ Compost
○ Burrow
○ Segments
○ Clitellum
● Read book about worms to students
● Review with students what they
learned from the book and record
answers on white board
● Call students in small groups to
visually observe and/or hold worms in
classroom with co-teacher
● Students will then return to seats and
record observations in science journals

Closure ● Questions about what they have

learned about worms
● Transition to observe and hold worms
● Record in writing and picture
drawings what they observe about
worms

Differentiation ● Students who have a hard time with

sitting still/shouting out will be placed
 next to teachers to manage behavior
● Students who are afraid of and/or do
not want to touch worms will only
visually observe worms

Assessment ● Students’ orally explaining what they

know and have learned about worms
through teacher prompts
● Verbal participation in group
discussion
● Written documentation of worms
through words and drawings

Extension of lesson: Continuation of conversations during tomorrow’s science lesson and

throughout week. Focus questions from this lesson will contribute to comparison of red worms
nightcrawlers.
● (Questions for extension of lesson) How are nightcrawlers and red worms the same?
Different?