Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence (it may vary depending on the number of tasks and how you intend to source your soil):

10-15 minutes

Tune In: Looking closely at soil

20-40 minutes

Find Out: Collecting and testing soil

10-30 minutes

Take Action: Communicating findings

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: Looking closely at soil

Step 1

Begin this lesson by setting the scene for students:

Now we are putting on our regenerative grower's hats and gloves to explore why soil is so important and how we can look after it. An essential part of being a regenerative grower is looking after the soil. Why? Well, the plants that we eat grow in the soil, and the animals we also get food from through meat or dairy also eat plants. We need to look after our soil because we need it for so many things!

Step 2

Hold up a sample of soil and initiate a discussion on the following questions:

I wonder what this is?
I wonder where this comes from?
I wonder if all types of soil are the same?
If some types of soil are different, how might they be different?

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be looking closely at the soil to identify which types of soil at their school are best for growing plants.

Find Out: Collecting and testing soil

Step 1

Students will now collect their own soil samples from different places around the school. You will need some tubs to collect the soil in, some scoops or hand trowels to dig up the soil, some paper labels and a pen to record the places where you found the soil and gloves.

Students can be assigned different tasks in the soil collection process:

soil identifiers - need to examine the soil before digging to see if it is different to other soil types (magnifying glasses might help students differentiate between soil types)
soil collectors - need to collect soil samples (no digging up plants, no big holes and be careful of critters!)
map makers - need to create a mud map of the school grounds and record where each soil type is collected from
site describers - record the details of each site that is visited, including what types of plants are growing there, whether the ground seems wet or dry, and whether there are any animals present (including large animals, worms and insects).

Make sure each soil sample is well labelled.

Notes:

you can supplement the student’s samples by pre-collecting samples. These different soil samples should be separated and labelled.
potting mix would be a useful soil type to collect. However, when using a dry potting mix, please follow any safety precautions outlined on the bag the potting mix came in, for example by wearing a mask and washing hands thoroughly after handling (see more here).

Step 2

Place your selection of soil types at the front of the class and invite students to gather around.

Invite students to investigate each of the soil types. They should do this:

by touching and rubbing the soil between their fingers to feel the consistency
seeing if the soil can be compacted
adding water to the soil to see how it changes the consistency and feel of the soil.

As students investigate the soil, pose the following questions:

I wonder if plants and earthworms could live in each type of soil?
I wonder if all plants can grow in these soil types?

Through your discussion explain that there are many different types of soil and sometimes all these different soil types can be found close together.

You can also explain to students that different plants like to grow in different types of soil and that different types of soil can be found in different places. Part of being a regenerative grower is understanding the soil you have to grow in, what types of plants can grow in this soil and how we can keep the soil healthy to grow the best plants we can.

Step 3

It’s now time to run some tests on your soil samples. Explain to students that these tests will help them determine how good each soil is for growing plants.

Four experiments have been provided; select a number of tests based on the time and materials available to you. If you choose to do more than one test, you should divide your samples so you have enough for all tests. Don’t use the same soil for the different tests.

Tips:

Take some photos of your experiments that can be used later to support students in their post-experiment analysis
If you plan on completing the next lesson in this unit, keep a hold of your soil and keep the different soil types separate. If you’re not planning on completing any more lessons or won’t get to other lessons for a while, return your soil to the schoolyard.

Take Action: Communicating findings

Step 1

Now explain to students:

Putting your regenerative grower hats on, you will now create a communication piece that describes the results of your experiment/s.

Your communication piece could be:

a short written report
a series of annotated drawings
a short video
a poster
a drawing
or any other form of communication that best suits your students and the time you have available.

The communication piece could include:

details about the process of collecting the soils
what the experiments showed
which soil they would recommend for planting a regenerative garden in.

Where students are creating a more detailed communication piece, this rubric is available to support students in creating their communication pieces.

Step 2

Give students an opportunity to present their work to the class. Where posters/drawings have been created, these can be displayed alongside the drawings and posters from other lessons.

Reflection

Engage students in a discussion around the following:

as a regenerative grower, why do you think it might be important to examine the soil before you start planting in it?
how do you think soils that are compacted or not able to retain water very well might affect the way that plants grow?
I wonder if there are any ways that we could make soils healthier for the plants growing in the soil?

Differentiated learning

We trust that teachers are the best equipped to know how to cater to the diversity in their classes. At Cool, we incorporate a variety of differentiation strategies into each lesson. Firstly, each lesson in this unit appeals to an array of different learning preferences. Learning activities can be completed in a number of different ways - if a student feels more comfortable speaking rather than writing, there are opportunities to accommodate this.

In lessons that feature group work or learning stations, we trust that teachers will use their discretion in knowing how to best organise their students in accordance with positive working relationships and ability. Graphic organisers and scaffolds are often included so students can ‘visually think’ and keep a record of their work. While our lessons are designed to be 55 - 60 minutes in length, we trust that teachers will manipulate lesson and segment times according to the needs of their students.

Testing Soil Samples

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Summary

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