VanCleave's Science Fun

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With mouth wide open, vibrating air coming up the throat from the vocal chords leaving the open mouth and spreading in all directions. Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50+ best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years and now am creating this science website.   My scream was not staged. The picture was to be of two adult cats, which I was holding. A microsecond before the camera snapped, the two cats dug their claws into my skin as they prepared to leap out of my arms. A picture like this is great for making inferences. Kids could make "guesses" as to why I am screaming. They would be drawing on facts from the photo, such as I look like I am in pain or maybe I am just pretending.

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Home » Ecology: Worm Bin

Ecology: Worm Bin

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How to Build an Earthworm Bin Using A Plastic Container

The drill has a 1/4 inch drill bit to make holes in a plastic container to be an earth worm bin.
The drill has a 1/4 inch drill bit to make drainage as well as air holes in a plastic container that will be an earthworm bin.

Earthworms will eat food and paper scraps. The waste from the worms–called casts–is wonderful compost to grow plants in.

I started my own earthworm bin recently. My bin is a plastic container with a lid. My husband helped me prepare the container by drilling air holes in the lid and sides. Holes in the bottom provided drainage for liquids.

Following are the Instructions Used 

1. With a 1/4 inch drill bit, randomly make about 30 holes in the bottom of the bin as well as in its lid.

2. With a 1/16 inch drill bit, make two rows of holes around the top of the bin.

3. Place a piece of cardboard inside the bin. The cardboard should cover the bottom of the bin.

4. Tear newspaper into strips about 1 inch wide.

5. Cover the cardboard in the bin with a layer of newspaper strips.

6. With a spray bottle filled with water, spray water on the layer of paper strips.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 eight time so that you have 10 layers of paper. Then press the layers down so that their height is about 4 to 5 inches. You want the papers moist, but not dripping wet.
8. Lift the paper layers on one corner and place food on top of the cardboard. Lower the paper layers. For information about earthworm food, see Earthworm Diet: What to Feed Earthworms
9. Place your worms on top of the moist paper layers, and then fill the bin with strips of torn newspaper. FYI: I use shredded white paper a friend collected at her office.

Other Methods of Setting Up a Worm Composting Bin

Nature Gift Store has another way of starting a worm bin, see Setting Up a Worm Bin.

This book has information and experiments about ecology.

Ecology For Every Kid
This book has information and experiments about ecology.

Ecology is the study of the behavior of living things in their natural surroundings and how they affect each other.

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