Caring for earthworms in the classroom
In this activity, students consider some of the ethical issues involved with keeping earthworms (and other animals) captive in a classroom setting.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
list the five freedoms that all animals should be able to experience
describe the optimal conditions for keeping earthworms in the classroom based on the five freedoms and their knowledge of earthworm life processes
review the conditions under which the class is housing, handling and studying their earthworms.
Earthworm observations
Students first observed earthworms in the classroom and listed what they could see.
Download the Word file (see below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
extension ideas
student worksheet.
Activity ideas
To more fully explore this issue or to explore other ethical issues, check out these Hub resources.
Ethics thinking toolkit – a tool to help students decide what is right or wrong, and why
Ethics in conservation science – conservation of native frogs
Ethics in bird conservation – conservation of native birds
Related content
This article introduces the rest of our content related to earthworms.
Useful links
See the teachers’ guide to Caring for Animals on the TKI website.
The New Zealand Association of Science Educators (NZASE) provide resources on animal ethics.
These web links below provide comprehensive information about the laws and guidelines and how they apply to animals.
