A wiggling earthworm and a chewy gummy worm walked into a science classroom — and the comparison taught students more than they might have expected. Mr. Hofer's Science 7 class at La Vista Middle School recently completed a hands-on lab designed to help students examine the observable characteristics that distinguish living organisms from nonliving objects, using the two very different "worms" as their subjects.

Students made careful observations of both specimens, recording their findings before coming together as a class to analyze and discuss their results. The conversation that followed pushed thinking further: Were the characteristics they noted universal to all living or nonliving things, or were some traits unique to worms specifically? That layer of critical analysis moved students beyond simple identification and into broader scientific reasoning.

The activity reflects a foundational concept in life science — that living things share a set of defining characteristics, including the ability to grow, respond to stimuli, and carry out biological processes. By grounding that concept in a tangible, memorable comparison, Mr. Hofer's class experienced science as something to be observed and questioned firsthand, not just read about in a textbook.