Earthworms: Comparing Two Texts

Text 1: Earthworms Help the Soil

1Earthworms may be small, but they do a big job for plants. They live in the soil under lawns, gardens, and forests. As they wiggle through the dirt, they dig long tunnels.

2These tunnels help plants grow. Rain soaks down through the tunnels instead of running away. Air moves into the soil too. Plant roots need both water and air, and they can spread more easily in loose soil.

3Earthworms also eat dead leaves and bits of old plants. The food passes through the worm's body and comes out as castings. Castings are full of things plants need, so they make the soil rich. A garden with many worms is often a healthy garden.

Text 2: How an Earthworm Lives Underground

1An earthworm has no legs, no eyes, and no lungs. So how does it live underground? Its body has some surprising tools.

2Tiny bristles stick out along the worm's body. To move, the worm stretches the front of its body forward. Then it grips the soil with its bristles and pulls the back end along.

3An earthworm breathes through its skin. Its skin must stay damp, or the worm cannot breathe. That is one reason worms stay in cool, moist soil and hide from the hot sun.

4A worm has no eyes, but its skin can sense light. Moving away from light helps it stay safe underground. There it digs tunnels and eats bits of dead plants.