Inman Elementary zoologists dug in to study some wiggly creatures in the dirt. Students in the 4th grade classrooms of Samantha Jones and Angie McMillan observed and studied Red Wiggler Earthworms.

As they wrapped up their science unit on ecosystems, the teachers wanted to go more in-depth to show students just how important decomposers, specifically earthworms, are to ecosystems and food webs. The zoologists collected and recorded data in the form of measurements, labeled drawings, and observations.

They even had some special guests from the county office as science coordinator Shane Kuykendall and science instructional coach Sarah Lasiter joined the fun.

“We hope that the students become more aware of the living things around them and the importance that each living thing has to keep its ecosystem healthy and in balance,” said Samantha Jones. “We also hope that the students learned some new information about worms that they never knew before and can now see them in a different way than just ‘worms’ or ‘disgusting.’