Soil is a living, changing material that is made up of minerals, organic matter, water, air and living creatures. It is the basis of our food production systems as well as a vital player in the world’s ecosystem, performing services including filtering water, neutralising pollutants and converting and recycling raw organic matter.

This learning sequence and investigation will assist students in understanding the value and vulnerability of soils. It is the start of ensuring that our students grow into informed consumers of the food we produce.

Students will observe that different soils are more suited to food production. They will assess the soils’ characteristics and discuss how these are likely to affect plant growth. They will also make recommendations about how the soil can be improved.

Students will prepare a scientific report that aligns with outcomes from the NSW
Science and Technology, English and Geography syllabuses.

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The links below give you access to the teacher guide, student learning journal (in pdf or Word files so you can choose to complete electronically) and some of the images. 

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We hope you enjoy the program, feel free to contact us by email (schools.program@dpi.nsw.gov.au) at any time.

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