To most of us, one earthworm resembles another. Although earthworms do have common characteristics, species differ widely in their size, skin colour and in the roles they play in the soil ...
When you look at the world around you, how do you categorise or group what you see? One of the broadest groupings is 'living' and 'non-living'. This may sound simple, but it is sometimes ...
Adaptation is an evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes increasingly well suited to living in a particular habitat. Natural selection results in helpful traits becoming more common in a ...
Observation is something we often do instinctively. Observation helps us decide whether it’s safe to cross the road and helps to determine if cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven ...
Charles Darwin is well known for his work on natural selection. He published widely on topics ranging from barnacles to geology to plants. He travelled the world and saw many unusual animals ...
Although earthworms are classified as animals, their bodies are quite different to animals that live above the ground. This video highlights some of the interesting physical characteristics ...
A bioindicator is a living organism that gives us an idea of the health of an ecosystem. Some organisms are very sensitive to pollution in their environment, so if pollutants are present, the ...
The earthworm’s body is well adapted for life in the soil. Click on the labels to see images and learn more.
What’s in soil? When you pick up a handful of soil, what do you see? All soil is made up of inorganic mineral particles, organic matter (including living things), air and water. Inorganic mineral ...
Asking where earthworms live may seem like a silly question. Doesn’t their name say it all? Soil may appear to be a homogeneous place to you or me, but not to earthworms. There are two ways to ...
Charles Darwin is best known for his theory of evolution as set out in his book On the Origin of Species. He was a naturalist – an expert in geology, botany and biology – whose interest in all ...
If you dig a hole in your school playing field, will the soil there look the same as the soil in your home garden? Is soil the same all over New Zealand? Rights: Waikato Regional Council Similar ...
In this activity, students use observation to explore earthworm anatomy and the nature of science. By the end of this activity, students should be able to: identify various physical ...
Along with the water we drink and the air we breathe, soil is one of our most important natural resources. We need to protect soil by keeping it healthy and using it wisely. Soil scientists help ...
New Zealand has over 200 known species of earthworms, with new species being identified as they are discovered. Of these, the majority are both native and endemic, meaning they are found in New ...
New Zealand’s common earthworms occupy different niches in the soil profile. To use this interactive, move your mouse or finger over any of the labelled boxes and select to obtain more ...
When Māori arrived in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the late 13th century, they found a land quite different to the Polynesia from which they had travelled. The cooler climate meant that some of the ...
Discover the world beneath our feet with Planet Earth and Beyond resources for NZ Curriculum levels 1 and 2. Rights: Michael Simons, licensed through 123rf Ltd. More than dirt Soils are full of ...
Earthworms are useful indicators of soil health. This project aims to capture information on earthworm abundance and species distribution throughout New Zealand. Information provided will be used ...
Scientists conduct investigations for all kinds of reasons. They may want to explore new ideas, gather evidence or prove or disprove previous results. Although scientists must follow certain ...
In this activity, students learn about soil quality and soil properties by conducting a visual soil assessment (VSA). The activity involves digging up a 20 cm cube of soil to examine the soil ...
In this activity, students use a three-level reading guide to locate information about the role of observation in science from the text of an article. They interpret what the text means and then ...
Earthworms are of interest to most children, are easily accessible and are an animal species easily kept in the classroom for short periods of time. This makes them ideal subjects for exploring ...
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 ...
