Earthworm

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/earthworm

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Class: Oligochaeta
2. What is the habitat?Ubiquitous in soils globally, with specific preferences for moisture and organic content
3. What do earthworms do in the soil?Earthworms burrow through the soil, making tunnels that let water and air move more easily. They eat soil and plant leftovers, breaking them up so tiny microbes can finish the job. The waste they leave behind, called castings, is packed with nutrients that plants love.
4. How do earthworms help plants grow?The castings that earthworms produce contain useful nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a form plants can quickly use. Their digging also loosens the soil, making it easier for roots to grow and for water to reach the ground.

Annelida: A phylum of segmented worms, including earthworms, leeches, and marine worms.
Peristaltic Contractions: Rhythmic muscular contractions that move food or waste through a tube, like an earthworm's body.
Bioremediation: The use of living organisms to clean up environmental pollutants.
Vermicomposting: The process of using earthworms to break down organic waste into nutrient-rich compost.