Each September the reaction in my 4th grade classroom is predictable:

"Worms? Gross! Why can't we have a real classroom pet, like a rabbit or a guinea pig?"

Rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, and other more conventional pets are fine, but there are many reasons why I prefer setting up a redworm compost bin in my classroom each year. Worms require much less daily care and they provide endless opportunities for learning about cycles, systems, decomposition, food, soil, science inquiry, and basic ecological connections.

More important, I find that having a worm bin helps children develop empathy, combat stereotypes, and gain respect for all forms of life on earth. These concepts overlap nicely with my goals for creating a meaningful learning environment and building a classroom community.

Our classroom "vermicomposting system," which is simply a five-gallon plastic box with a lid and holes drilled in the bottom, sits off the floor a few inches over another lid that collects drips. The bin provides a home for more than 1,000 California redworms, a variety of earthworm that can be ordered online from a number of different worm farms (see resource list) or purchased at a local plant nursery.

During the first week or two of school, the students and I prepare the bin for the worms and make predictions about what will happen in the worm bin. I ask the students what facts about worms they already know, and I make a chart for the wall. I also write down what they are interested in finding out. Inevitably, someone states that worms can be cut in half to make two new worms; I respond by saying I have heard cutting worms kills them, and we agree to write the child's statement instead in the question column of the chart. Later I will bring in books that teach the children that, in fact, cutting worms in half results in the death of the worm.