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Worming Their Way In – Vol. 1 No. 2
Earthworms are important parts of an ecosystem. Are native or nonnative earthworms more common in the forests of north Georgia? The scientists studied this using pitfall traps in the woods. Only 4 percent of the earthworms were native. Where did the nonnative worms come from? What will happen to the forest?
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Highlights
- 2 scientists
- Glossary
- 4 activities
- 1 lesson plan
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Native earthworms are important to the health of forests. Native earthworms help maintain the forest floor by eating leaves and other plant materials. These earthworms tunnel and eat through soil,...Worming Their Way In: Invading Earthworms in the Southeastern United States
Native earthworms are important to the health of forests. Native earthworms help maintain the forest floor by eating leaves and other plant materials. These earthworms tunnel and eat through soil,...
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The questions you will answer with this FACTivity are: Are earthworms a part of your schoolyard habitat? and How much difference exists among the types of soil-dwelling organisms that live...FACTivity – Worming Their Way In
The questions you will answer with this FACTivity are: Are earthworms a part of your schoolyard habitat? and How much difference exists among the types of soil-dwelling organisms that live... -
In this lesson plan, pairs of students will create a 60- to 90-minute radio broadcast/podcast based on the article. Creating the broadcast/podcast will involve close-reading a Natural Inquirer article. Graphic...Lesson Plan – Make Your Own Broadcast/Podcast
In this lesson plan, pairs of students will create a 60- to 90-minute radio broadcast/podcast based on the article. Creating the broadcast/podcast will involve close-reading a Natural Inquirer article. Graphic... -
After reading “Worming Their Way In,” test your vocabulary knowledge with this word search.Word Search – Worming Their Way In
After reading “Worming Their Way In,” test your vocabulary knowledge with this word search. -
Who or What Am I? Worming Their Way In
After reading "Worming Their Way In," can you answer these riddles?
Glossary
View All Glossaryangler
(aŋ glər): A person who catches fish with a hook and fishing line.
conifer
(kä nǝ fǝr): Any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs that have leaves resembling needles or scales, including trees and shrubs (like pines) that have true cones.
forest manager
(fȯr ǝst ma ni jǝr): A person who manages a forest; in the Forest Service, forest managers focus on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health (definition from USDA Forest Service).
habitat
(ha bә tat): The place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows.
invasive
(in vā siv): Tending to spread especially in a quick or aggressive manner, such as a nonnative species growing and dispersing easily, usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems.
leaf litter
(lēf li tər): Dead plant material, like leaves and twigs.
native
(nā tiv): Living or growing naturally in a particular region.
nonnative
(nän nā tiv): Not naturally occurring in an area.
organism
(ȯr gǝ ni zǝm): An individual living thing that carries on the activities of life by means of organs which have separate functions but are dependent on each other: a living person, plant, or animal.
pristine
(pri stēn): Not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted.
species
(spē sēz or spē shēz): A category of living things that ranks below a genus, is made up of related individuals able to produce fertile offspring, and is identified by a two-part scientific name.
taxonomic
(tak sə nä mik): Having to do with the orderly classification of living things according to their presumed natural relationships.
taxonomy
(tak sä nə mē): Orderly classification of living things according to their presumed natural relationships.
Classroom Review Board
Counselors Amanda McElroy and Troy Bolden Student Reviewers
- Oconee County Parks and Recreation
Editorial Review Board Comments
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Mac Callaham
Soil Scientist
My favorite experience was collecting earthworms in a pristine cloud forest on top of the highest peak in Puerto Rico. We found earthworms that are found nowhere else in the...View Profile -
Paul Hendrix
Soil Scientist
My favorite science experience was conducting an earthworm survey in an old-growth Douglas-fir forest in Oregon. The air was cool and smelled like conifers. All we found were native earthworms...View Profile
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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In this lesson plan, pairs of students will create a 60- to 90-minute radio broadcast/podcast based on the article. Creating the broadcast/podcast will involve close-reading a Natural Inquirer article. Graphic...
Lesson Plan – Make Your Own Broadcast/Podcast
In this lesson plan, pairs of students will create a 60- to 90-minute radio broadcast/podcast based on the article. Creating the broadcast/podcast will involve close-reading a Natural Inquirer article. Graphic...
Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: Conservation Education
Through Conservation Education, the Forest Service provides a variety of educational resources and programs for individuals of all ages to learn about the environment and our nation’s forests and grasslands. Through these hands-on, interactive learning opportunities, students, educators, and parents can explore how to become a responsible steward of our natural resources. There are also a variety of resources for teachers and parents to engage youth in environmental education and for exploring careers in conservation.Visit Website -
FIND Outdoors
Our story is rooted in education about the forest. Our passion is to help people become inspired. Our goal is to help people connect with nature. Our drive is to help people learn through discovery. Through forest-inspired nature discovery, we help people FIND Outdoors.Visit Website