Poop, soil, & the food we eat

Sometimes, while in class, teachers do things they did not anticipate. Today, I planned to review what worms need in comparison to what humans need. After the review, I planned to teach students how to harvest worms. The worms harvested would be traded in exchange for volunteer hours. (I may not be able to pay volunteers in US dollars but trading in my vocation is alive and well.)

During the review of what humans need versus what worms need one of the students asked "Do worms crawl through their poop?" To which I responded, I suppose they do. Although thinking about humans crawling through their own poop sounds pretty disgusting, worms castings are a little bit different because worms have gizzards they grind down "large" food particles. Some of these finely ground food particles are digested into their systems, the rest are excreted and pooped out, creating worm castings. The castings often contain food particles which are likely sensed by the next worm's Prostomium, a sensitive pad located above the mouth which pushes soil out of the way of the worm or pushes food into the worm's mouth. (This comes from my basic understanding, which, admittedly is not very complete or extensive.)

This process is all part of a cycle. Worms, microorganisms, and heat turn poop into soil. In the soil we grow food which is then eaten and subsequently pooped out, which continues the cycle. (This is all rather simplistic but it gets the point across that maybe poop is not really as gross as students initially think.)

What humans need (and some of what humans desire) and what worms need. The lines between indicate commonalities.
Underneath, the cycle of poop, soil, and the food we eat.

Disproving my Least Favorite Myth: Kids hate all vegetables

October was all about kale. In health classes and after school clubs, I introduced students to Super Chips: kale fresh from the school gardens, spritzed lightly with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, then cooked for 6-10 minutes for a crunchy, healthy super treat. (Super Chips because relative to other vegetables, Kale is jam-packed with so many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.) After introducing around 150 students to Super Chips I've only met two who outright refused to try them, the rest gave them a try. A few needed to spit them out but most were pleasantly surprised. Quite a few students said they taste like popcorn. One student, who had just told me they tasted like one of his favorite spring-time vegetables: ramps on the grill. At the end of each class, and especially after hearing mostly positive reviews, I told each group of students about this myth - a rumor really, that's out there, that people are talking about them and other kids. People are saying that kids hate vegetables. But mostly, my students put that myth to shame and stop up the rumor-mill. Lastly, I leave my students with a challenge: continue to prove that "kids hate vegetables" is a big fat lie.