This might be one of the most versatile lessons I have ever created. It can be used to cover lots of different areas of your science curriculum. The foundation of this lesson has to do with worms, so if you have students specifically interested in worms, they will love this lesson. If you want, this lesson on worms can be extrapolated to invertebrates. This lesson can also cover soil layers, and we could highlight different gym areas as the different soil horizons. This lesson could be used to study the water cycle, specifically water infiltration. This lesson could also be used to look at the root parts. Finally, this lesson reinforces the idea of food chains or food systems.

Materials: 

·      A large gymnasium that has court lines

o   Preferably, basketball and volleyball overlapped. The more, the better

·      Scooters

o   I like a ratio of 1:2

o   If the scooters can snap together, this is even better because the longer scooter will better resemble a worm and encourage teamwork between each pair of students.

·      Hula hoops with different colors

·      Balls that match the colors of the hula hoops

·      Several long jump ropes or pool noodles

o   Used to represent plant roots

§   Optional

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game needs a minimum of five players but can accommodate many more.

Age: Lower Elementary