The Worm Farm Project

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The Worm Farm Project

• A science interdisciplinary project investigating
  the harvesting of biomass into energy

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The Worm Farm Project

• A multilevel, separable plastic container housing
  nearly 1000 worms that feed on one-half pound of
  food per day.

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The Worm Farm Project

• The feeding level contains worm castings,
  newspaper and food from waste sources in the
  building.

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Harvesting the worm casting as fertilizers, feed
and biomass fuel
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Recording temperature, humidity and carbon
dioxide concentration with PASCO probes
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PASCO Digital Probe for sophisticated analysis of
physical measurements
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Data from the Worm Bin Project
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Students separate the worm farm mass into its
separate components.
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Worm characteristics are examined and recorded
during the project.
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Physical and behavioral characteristics of the
worms are examined and recorded.
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Students examine the physical characteristics of
their casting producing friends!
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The size of worms and other physical
characteristics of the worms and cocoons are
recorded.
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A Worm Cocoon Housing 2- 3 Baby Worms
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Cooperative Effort by Students to process and
record biomass
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Critical Analysis of DataPie Chart Analysis
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Save The Worm Cocoons!

• A typical worm cocoon is one eighth of an inch in
  diameter and it is shaped like a lemon.
• The cocoon will house about two or three baby
  worms.

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A Cooperative Effort!Search and Rescue!
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Cocoons are returned to worm farms
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Scientific analysis of the worm farms begins with
the harvesting of worm castings.

• Teams of physical science students work in class
  to separate the worms from the castings.
• The effort involves physical separation by hand.
• The final product will be studied to determine
  the amount of nutrients in the material and for
  the amount of energy.

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Mr. Colons Physical Science Class and the
harvesting of worm castings.
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Physical separation of worms from castings.
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Processing the Worm Castings
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Recording the Mass of Castings and Worms
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Data Collection involves recording the mass of
the product.
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The mass of the worms and the castings that are
harvested are recorded for analysis.
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• Teams of Students continue to work through the
  material separating castings from worms and
  residual food materials.

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Collaboration and cooperation are critical
factors for the success of this project.
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Mr. Colon and a team of students separate worms
from castings.
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Worm cocoons are separated from the harvested
worm farm castings.
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Students record mass and volume to determine
density of castings.
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Students prepare 20 samples of castings ready for
drying.
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Mr. Reivas Physical Science Classes

• Processing the worm farm castings.
• Separating worm cocoons.
• Massing samples.
• Determination of densities.
• Preparing samples for heating

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Students working in teams separate worm cocoons
from castings.
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Mrs. Hubiak works to save as many worm cocoons as
possible!
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Teams accumulate castings and begin to record
quantities of mass collected.
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Worm castings are separated and samples prepared
for heat treatment.
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Student takes digital measurements of thermal
heat in worm farms.
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Students use PASCO Probes to record relative
humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations in
worm farms.
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Worm farms are now readied to renew the process
and begin again to produce more worm castings.
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A Study into the Transfer of Energy

• The students in Mr. Reivas physical science
  classes students investigate the transfer of work
  into potential energy and kinetic energy.

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Students determine work and potential energy
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The U-Pipe Roller Coaster
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Working in teams the students collect and analyze
a new roller coaster design.
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Students look for transfer of energy within a
closed roller coaster system.
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Students assess changes in potential energies as
a function of height.
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Transfer of Energy

• Students listen and discuss issues with engineer
  related to alternative energy including nuclear
  energy and its contribution to overall energy
  sources.

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TESTING FOR MECHANICAL POWER OF ELECTRIC CAR
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The Vermiculture Experiment

• Students in the physical science classes begin to
  set up a process to grow basil plants while
  utilizing different concentrations of worm
  castings.
• Seeds planted on 3-11-2008.

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• The students and teachers work to set up the
  seedlings in special containers to begin to
  nurture the growth process of the basil plants.

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