Dig Deep Into the Importance of Soil

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Curiosity

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content descriptions:

Geography Year 9:

Students learn to:

• understand the challenges to sustainable food production and food security in Australia and appropriate management strategies (AC9HG9K04)
• understand the environmental, economic and technological factors that impact agricultural productivity, in Australia and a country in Asia (AC9HG9K03)

General capabilities: Literacy, Digital Literacy

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability. 

Relevant parts of Year 9 Geography achievement standards:

Students analyse the interconnections between people and places and environments. Students analyse strategies to address a geographical phenomenon or challenge using environmental, social or economic criteria.

UN SDG 2: Zero Poverty

Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

UN SDG 15: Life on land

Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

• Demonstration instructions:
  • Teacher-led demonstration - the importance of soil for drainage
  • Student-led experiment - soil drainage and the importance of water
• Depending on whether you complete one or both of these demonstrations, you may need:
  • clay-based soil
  • empty egg containers (or equivalent)
  • internet access
  • laptop
  • plates/bowls (3x to fit under pots)
  • pots (x3), self-draining
  • projection ability (for videos)
  • seeds (sunflower, cress, chives or a native mix is recommended)
  • soil
  • watering device of some description (a filled water bottle is fine)
• Intensive Farming fact sheet
• Student Worksheet - one per student

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low to medium - assist students as required, guide supported students, lead discussion as required

Special thanks to:

This lesson has been developed with the support of the Macdoch Foundation.

This lesson includes video content of the brilliant new feature documentary from WildBear Entertainment, New Town Films and Regen Studios - go to Rachel’s Farm to see the entire film.

Cool.org's curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.