This is How We: Nature Study Earthworms Edition

​In this Year 1 (First Grade) year, Nature Study is usually reserved for Fridays.  It’s our art, science and sometimes poetry and geography day depending on the week.  On this particular Friday, we’re getting more hands on and learning all about WORMS & composting – Vermicomposting to be exact! 

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​The main curriculum we use as a guide for nature study is Exploring Nature with Children by Lynn Seddon of Raising Little Shoots. This is such an amazing guide to use if you feel uneasy about nature study because it lays everything out for you week by week. 

​You can use it with really small children and with much older children.  I mean, I’m enjoying it just as much as my kids and have my own nature notebook to learn right along with them!

Now, since we had the urge to learn about worms this week, we actually jumped to another week in the year instead of following the schedule.  It’s the very end of the year, so we’re painting outside the lines a bit.  Normally, we do stick to the schedule. Lynn has a schedule you can download off her site here: ENCW Calendar.

​The great thing about this curriculum is that it even references exactly where to go in this mammoth of the next nature study book we use: Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study. So naturally, we referenced the 3-4 pages all about worms.

​I always love to reference the Julia Rothman books as well.  We currently have these three.  They’re filled with information that a young learner can appreciate without being inundated with information.  They are also just so pretty and inspiring! 

​Another thing I like to do is look up Youtube Videos pertaining to our subject. This might also include an art lesson on how to draw them as well as a kid friendly informational video.

Then, we jump into the art part of the lesson.  Today, we’re drawing up our on plan on vermicomposting using a 2-3 bin system.  We talked about red wiggler earthworms, how they eat our food waste to create what is considered “black gold” soil for your garden, what are some food waste items to avoid as well as how to layer them into their new home. Here are some items we use weekly when we draw out our nature studies.

​Not every Nature study lesson we do is hands on.  This one happens to be.  In the video above you canou enjoy a small glimpse into the hands-on portion of the day!

Here are some supplies you might need to do this at home:

1. 2-3 Rubbermaid 20 Gallon Bins
2. Brown Stuff - leaves, old newspapers, cardboard without any glue or tape, etc.
3. Soil, coffee grounds, sawdust
4. Compostable Kitchen Waste (apple cores, greens, egg shells, banana peels, etc. - keep away from peppers, onion, and animal products)
5. AND your Red Wiggler worms! We got ours at Uncle Jim's Worm Farm

And there you have it! Our Vermi-compost Nature Study Day is complete.  We continue checking in on our worms, holding on to food waste from our kitchen as well as crumpled paper or cuttings from our homeschool room. I hope this encouraged you guys to get your hands dirty in your next Nature Study Lesson! Until next time friends!

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