The horsehair worms are interesting threadlike roundworms that resemble the "hair of a horse's tail or mane." These long, active worms may be observed in streams and ponds during late summer or fall but are more commonly noticed in domestic water containers such as bird baths, swimming pools, water troughs, pet dishes, sinks, bathtubs, and toilets. They are harmless to plants, people, and pets.Horsehair worms are mildly beneficial because a small percentage of crickets, grasshoppers, and other insects are infected and killed.Horsehair worms are also called Gordian worms because they resemble the "Gordian Knot" of ancient Greek legend.Long and slender parasitic roundworms of crickets and other large insects are occasionally present in pet dishes and other water containers.NOTE: This file is a bit large because of the number of color photos. It might take a minute or two to download. Materials needed: Photocopies of pattern pages, scissors, colored paper, glue stick, thin cardboard and four very short sharpened pencils (For the second game listed in the description paragraph, you need only the worm cards.) Time allowance: Can fill any amount of time. This second game was found to be very effective in motivating players to focus their attention on the worms and learn their names. The second game is a straightforward memory game that challenges players to figure out which worm has escaped from the zoo. Players must use the information on the cards to determine which worms, if any, can be added to their zoo on that turn. The spinners will dictate what type of specimen can be collected. In the first game, players work as teams to try to collect specimens for their worm zoos.
There are two games you can play with the cards. There are also paper “cages” that look like colorful picture frames, and four spinners. Purpose of activity: To learn about a large variety of worms, including round worms, flat worms, annelids (earthworms, leeches and marine polychaetes) as well as some worms that are considered “minor phyla” such as the acorn worm, the horsehair worm and the peanut worm.ĭescription of activity: There are 24 pictures cards showing each kind of worm along with a brief description of the worm.
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