Novel Unit - How To Eat Fried Worms

AIMS has a lesson, think it might be in the book called CRITTERS, called "Yummy Gummy Worms". In that lesson your children weigh and measure gummy worms. I use "How to Eat Fried Worms" as a lead in, reading it to my children and sort of egging them on to try worms. Then when we finish the book I bring in a covered pot as though I have boiled the worms. Lay out the napkins and math stuff and then begin passing out the worms, you should see the sighs of relief when they realize that it is "gummy worms".Then they get to work on the AIMS lesson.

I have also arrived with "fried " worms for them to sample..LOL These are really spaghetti noodles, cooked until limber, dipped in a cornmeal batter,c and fried. Doesn't taste bad and if you work them around with a fork as you fry them, they look pretty real. You could graph yes/no "I Like Fried Worms"

I have also finished up by giving them Jello Pudding "dirt cups, with gummy worms in the bottom" and then having them to write about the experience. (Cups made with Cool Whip, Big box of Choc. pudding, crumbled chocolate cookies and gummi worms, put in clear plastic cups and cover w/plastic lid or saran wrap.)

Just for fun, I made brownies with chopped up walnuts in them. The kids inspected the brownies carefully before they ate them, and found the walnuts and asked if they were crickets. (That's what the boy in How to Eat Fried Worms put in his brownies) I just smiled and asked what they thought they were. The brave ones started eating and found out they were just nuts, and told the others, and they all loved eating the brownies. They still talk about the time I gave them cricket brownies and tell other kids about it. Remember to find out if anyone has chocolate or nut allergies before you do this one.

I read How to Eat Fried Worms and then made cupcakes for my kids. I cut the tops off, put a gummy worm in each, put the top back on and frosted them. I told the kids they were for being such good kids and doing so well. Then before they ate them, I asked their opinion of the book, and if they would ever eat a worm. Then they ate the cupcakes and found the worms in them. It was fun for them and me as well.

After I read this book aloud to my class I made "fried worms" for them to eat. Take the small, long, skinny Tootsie Rolls and roll them into longer worm shapes. Then roll each worm in brown sugar. I had the kids stand in a circle. I passed out one worm to each child. On my signal they were to eat their worm, but NO talking was aloud (to prevent giving away the secret). They could make facial expressions or noises of disgust or pleasure. The looks on their faces were PRICELESS! Eventually we got almost everyone to try their worm. Finally I told the last 2 holdouts what it really was and then they ate theirs.

When I did this book with my 5th graders they really enjoyed it. We did a main idea activity to go along with this book.

At the start of the book I assigned each student one chapter. If you have a small class you may need to assign some students two chapters. I gave each student a paper plate. They had to write the number and title of the chapter on the plate. After we read the chapter assigned to them, he/she had to draw and color a picture of the chapters main idea.

I hung the plates from the ceiling as each child finished. We had a picture summary of the whole book when we were finished.

Have you students make a recipe for a worm dish including ingredients and directions for cooking. They should draw an illustration under the recipe and give it a name.

Put the recipes all together to make a class worm recipe book. You could make a copy for each student to take home.

Try making a worm mobile! Have students cut out worm shapes. They should choose several of the worm recipes used in the book and write a description of them on the worm cut outs. Attach string to each of the worms and tie them to a hanger or your favorite type of mobile form.

If you use a variety of colored paper for the worms, you will have a colorful display in your classroom.

Discuss with your students what they think the book How To Eat Fried Worms is about. You should get responses like, "It is going to tell us how to eat worms." Then talk about what "how to" book are. After reading the book, have students create their own "how to" book. Let them be creative with their topics.

Sharing their how to books is the best part of this lesson. They are soooo funny!

Why not have students research worms while reading this book. Give them a sheet of paper and have them divide it into 3 sections. They should label the first column "What I know," the second column "What I want to know," and the third column "What I learned."

Have students work in small groups and complete the first and second column together.

Then using books, encyclopedias, and the internet have them research earth worms. They should try to find the answers to the questions they asked on their charts as well as include other things that they learned.