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

2. 2 What is a worm farm??

3. 3 Why have a worm farm at school?  http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/tag/worm-farm/ See Croydon West Primary http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/tag/worm-farm/  "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-for- worm-farm-lessons/1854821.aspx http://www.lakesmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/bunnings-back-to-school-for- worm-farm-lessons/1854821.aspx  North Lakes Primary School  http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/sci-enviro- ed/video/video_files/video13.php http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/sci-enviro- ed/video/video_files/video13.php  Monash Primary – measuring worm growth!

4. 4 Worm farm products

5. 5 Using the products productively

6. 6

7. 7 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.

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

9. 9 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.

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

11. 11 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?

12. 12 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/tech246.html http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/tech246.html Bizarre deep-sea worm linking vertebrates & invertebrates found

13. 13 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

14. 14 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?

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

16. 16 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=W0lQ0bdcjfY&feature=related What was the worm doing in the cornfield? Don’t forget your worm jokes!

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

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