Terrarium Habitats

Sara Gagliardi and Chrsity Insogna

Summary

            An entire world exists underground. This world consists of tiny plants, animals, and bacteria. These decomposers return nutrients from once living things back to the soil where plant roots can soak them up for new plants.

            Decomposition is constantly happening in our soil without most of your student’s knowledge. Most students are also unaware of its importance. All animals and humans depend on plants as the basis of their diet, so this recycling of nutrients is crucial. The activities in this GEMS Guide provide first hand experiences with underground inhabitants. Each activity provides a list of materials, step by step instructions for the teacher, scripted questions to ask students, and diagrams to keep you on the right track.

            In Activity 1: Exploring Soil, students observe the color, texture, and odor of soil and use magnifying lenses to identify items in the soil such as roots, leaves, and pebbles. Students will also compare different soils and experiment with separating the layers of soil in a vile of water.

            In Activity 2: Building a Terrarium, students build a mini forest habitat in a plastic container. Students will discuss what the terrarium needs and where it should be located in the classroom.

            In Activity 3: Adding Earthworms to the Terrarium, students add earthworms and discuss their role as a decomposer.  Students will also observe the earthworms and their behavior.

            In Activity 4: Adding Isopods to the Terrarium, students add pill bugs and sow bugs to the terrarium.  They will identify the differences between these isopods and observe the terrarium as the animals reproduce and plants decompose. Extra activities are suggested for older students.

            In Activity 5: Adding More to the Terrarium, students choose to add other plants, food, and animals of their choice. This section also incorporates snail and cricket observation pages, two songs about decomposition, and other activities as well as helpful resources.

            The last section: Behind the Scenes, explains how to maintain the terrariums and gives helpful tips on certain types of animals. Summary outlines for each activity are provided as well as removable copies of student data sheets at the end of the book.

            Allow your students to discover the amazing world underground! Make terrarium habitats a continuous activity in your classroom.