Developing the culture The magic worm farm Shirley

Developing the culture: The magic worm farm Shirley O’Neill 1

What is a worm farm? ? 2

Why have a worm farm at school? http: //www. playbasedlearning. com. au/tag/worm-farm/ See Primary Croydon West "The worm farm is a simple and easy way to transform fruit and vegetable scraps into rich fertilizer for the garden”. http: //www. lakesmail. com. au/news/local/news/general/bunnings-back-to-school-forworm-farm-lessons/1854821. aspx North Lakes Primary School http: //www. deakin. edu. au/arts-ed/education/sci-enviroed/video_files/video 13. php Monash Primary – measuring worm growth! 3

Worm farm products 4

Using the products productively 5

Connecting to your class worm farm 6

Vermaculture Language and concepts for a sustainable lifestyle Relevance to everyday living on a long term basis Continuity of learning and built-in practice Raising issues vital to society and the world today. 7

Grasping the cycle Healthy nutrition Encourage fruit and vegetables Organic matter goes in. . . Worm farm Liquid fertiliser out… Castings out. . . Healthy plant growth Encourage sustainable living/recycling Natural link to plant and animal life cycles 8

State and local government sites are promoting worm farms – Why? Your worm farm purchase may be subsidised by your council because it helps: reduce waste that goes to landfill decrease greenhouse gas emissions reduce the use of chemical fertilisers reduce water usage. 9

Key concepts Waste disposal Recycling Organic matter Composting Greenhouse gas emissions Ecological footprint 10

Monitoring and measuring We need food for the worms! Two major questions: What are we eating – what scraps/waste can worms have (and why)? What happens inside the worm farm? Using the products – experiments about plant growth. What happens to plants that have worm fertiliser and castings compared with those that don’t? Why haven’t I had to buy more worms over three years? 11

Observing, categorising and generalising Sorting and directing waste to the appropriate bin Working out the optimum conditions for plant growth Exploring worms as invertebrates, categorising different kinds of worms Worm community behaviour Research worms - http: //www. whatsonxiamen. com/tech 246. html Bizarre deep-sea worm linking vertebrates & invertebrates found 12

Learning through real-life meaningful experiences Worms are invertebrates Pores on the skin cover its body with slime. This slime keeps the worm clean, makes it slippery and kills germs. Worms don’t have eyes Worms breathe through pores in their skin Worms can sense vibrations, light and temperature 13

Learning through real-life meaningful experiences Dilute worm fertiliser with water 1: 10 Add a small amount of castings to potting mix and place as top dressing around the base of existing plants Check how empty your garbage bin is once you start your worm farm – up to 50% of household waste can be composted. Research question – what is the overall impact of everyone in Australia disposing of their organic waste via a worm farm? What about your impact? 14

Valuable web sites http: //www. forlandsandwaters. org/programs/roommates. htm http: //www. resourcesmart. vic. gov. au/documents/Worm_Farms_f act_sheet. pdf http: //www. allaboutworms. com/category/garden-worms http: //www. livinggreener. gov. au/waste/kitchen-food-waste/startworm-farm http: //www. worms. com/benefits-of-vermicomposting-2. html http: //www. greenlanediary. org/ 15

Don’t forget your worm jokes! What do you call it when worms take over the world? Why did the worm cross the playground? What kind of worm do you use for maths? http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=W 0 l. Q 0 bdcjf. Y&feature=related What was the worm doing in the cornfield? 16

Menu All vegetable scraps Potato peelings Apple cores Tea bags *** Pumpkin peelings and seeds Egg shells Hair trimmings ***** Paper Celery tops 17

Books at Book Garden In the bin True green Garbage helps your garden grow Young children and the environment: Early education for sustainability 18