There's Nothing Like an Earthworm

Preschool children: 

Worms:  Print this picture for your child to color and discuss with you.  One sentence lets you record your child’s thoughts at this age and has a line for you to share your own thoughts with your child.

School agers: 

There’s nothing like worms.  Print this page and use it to write a story describing worms.  Where have you seen them?  How do they feel?  How do they smell?

Teens/Adults:

Essay prompt:  The humble worm is often looked down on (consider the phrase “lowly as a worm”), yet much of our life would be impossible without its role in aerating the soil and helping to decompose waste.  Give an example of a humble, routine activity that you perform in your daily life that enables you to do great things.

Poetry prompt:  Write a snaking tanka (a 31-syllable Japanese poetic which examines an image and then—like the second half of the worm—turns to examine the speaker’s response to the image) to examine your thoughts on a worm or snake.  Examples of tankas may be found at http://www.tankasociety.com/.

Lifestory prompt 1:  (Monday) There’s nothing like the smell of worms.  Living in rainy Western Pennsylvania, there’s no way to avoid the worms on the sidewalk after the rain.  What is your response to them?

If you would like (and if it is okay with your parent or guardian), you can sign a submission form and return the form and your writing to the library.  Stories will be posted together on this blog beginning in November and in a book in the spring of 2014.