Earthworms!

Morah Mimi moved our logs to form a balancing activity and low and behold we found
Earthworms!!!!!!  Hannah grabbed a log to use in order to pick it up.
We discuss the fact that it had rained and it was wet and dark under the tree stumps and that attracted the earthworms. 

Aiden: More earthworms!!!!

Amanda:  I don't need a log!
...and she picked it up.
Amanda: See how smooth it feels.

Amanda took charge and began to hand it to the other children, so that they too can experience holding it.

At first Sammy was anxious about holding it.  As soon as Amanda handed it to her she took full control.

Hannah: It's so soft!

Hannah is so proud of herself! Hannah: It's big!!

Jordan tries to feed it a leaf.
Jordan: He's very hungry!

We decide that we'd really like to keep the earthworms. 
Morah Mimi: What will happen if we bring it into the classroom.
Sammy:  It will run all around!
Chana: NO!!!
Morah Mimi: Do you think it will be a good idea?  Is it good for the Earthworm?  Is it the right environment?
Can it live in the classroom?
In unison: NO!
Chana: It can't have the sun!
Jordan:  It needs good earth.
Morah Mimi:  What else?
Hannah: Rain

We decide to create a home/ a habitat for our earthworms.  We begin to create a compost.
The children collected dried leaves and tore them into small pieces.

Chana comes running with water to add.

Next, we collect soil (Morah taught us that word and we keep using it).  We kept finding more and more worms as we were digging.  At first our little spoon diggers worked.

Then we got our big shovels.  We were able to collect a lot more in one time and we could dig deeper and find even more worms!

Sammy kept a watchful eye on the worms in her bucket for us.
Notice Aiden's reaction when our "Big" Earthworm tries to jump out at him.

The children were both proud and excited with the results!

Chana is missing.  She'd rather just speak about it:)

Rabbi Kaplan came to help us punch lots of holes in the cover, so that the worms can get oxygen to breathe.

Throughout the rest of the week, we opened the compost and checked out our worms.  At times we just worked around them.  It created a very peaceful setting.

Hannah decided to add water, because they were thirsty.  It was an experience watching the worms reaction. 
They all rose to the top and began to get very active.

Aiden forms his own earthworms around the authentic ones.