Our new worm compost!

As part of our exploration into what happens in spring, we are making a classroom worm compost! I started off by writing a "How to Make a Worm Compost" book, which ties in perfectly to our "how-to book" unit that we are doing in Writers Workshop right now. Here's how we did it!

First, you need some worms, and of course you need to spend some time exploring what worms look and feel like.

If touching a worm is a bit too creepy, you can just observe it from afar and take notes in your science journal.

You could even build a home for the worms using pencils!

And now, onto How to Make a Worm Compost. First, you need some red worms, a bucket of soil, some newspaper, and a compost bin.

Then you need to rip the newspaper into skinny shreds.

It is so fun!

Then you get the newspaper damp (not too wet and soggy).

Next, you put the newspaper into the compost bin and fluff it up.

Then you add the worms to their new home! And observe what they do, of course (which is squirm away from the light as quickly as possible).

Finally, you need to make signs so the rest of the school knows that our classroom has a worm compost. Older classes can bring food that would otherwise go to waste, and the worms will eat it! Here are the signs we made, which included information on what worms can and can't eat. Each pair of kindergarteners got to choose anywhere in the school halls to display their poster, which was so exciting. They also used great teamwork designing and making the posters together!

And happy spring break! Hopefully we will see some worms coming out due to warm weather and rain soon!