HDRA - Investigation 3 - What affect does soil treatments have?

Home	Learning Zone \| Teaching Zone \| Fun Zone \| School Reports

National Curriculum | Advice | Facts | This half-term

Join us

	home >> investigating plants >> what affect soil treatments have
	Investigation Three What affect does using different soil treatments have on growing plants?

National Curriculum Links

Sc1 1a - that science is about thinking creatively to try and explain how living and non- living things work, and to establish links between causes and effects.

Sc1 1b - that it is important to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement.

Sc1 2d - make a fair test or comparison by changing one factor and observing or measuring the effect while keeping other factors the same.

Sc1 2f - make systematic observations and measurements.

Sc1 2i - make comparisons and identify simple patterns or associations in their observations and measurements or other data.

Sc1 2j - use observations, measurements or other data to draw conclusions.

Learning Objectives

Students to carry out a scientific enquiry going through the stages of planning, obtaining and presenting evidence and considering evidence and evaluation.

Background Organic Information

Soil treatments can affect plant growth. Organic gardeners use bulky organic materials such as leafmould to improve the soil condition and structure. This gives crops an ideal growing situation.

Resources

Three small plots
Seeds
Leafmould
Organic fertiliser

Time Required

Set-up time: 2 hours
Investigation time: 10-12 weeks or longer if possible
Follow up time: 2 hours

Structuring the lesson

Introduction

Discuss the things that might affect plant growth.

Discuss how one of these factors (soil structure and condition) could be tested.

Activity

Students to prepare three plots in which to sow seeds, or they could use transplants, by adding soil treatments to two of them.

Students to sow seeds. Use same seed or transplants in all plots so that the test is fair.

Over the next 10-12 weeks, or longer if possible, students to care for all the plants in the same way.

Students to evaluate the effects of different soil treatments by examining the crop. Assess vigour (how well the plants have grown), height, yield and growth rate.

Summary

Discuss the effects of the different soil treatments on the growth of the plants.

Discuss possible reasons for these differences.

Skills

See National Curriculum Links at the top of this page.

Vocabulary

Drill
Leafmould
Tilth
Fertiliser

Differentiation

All students will respond to suggestions about how to find things out. (Level 2)
All students will make observations related to their task. (Level 2)
All students will make relevant observations and measure quantities, such as length, using a simple range of equipment. (Level 3)
Some students will provide explanations for their observations. (Level 3)

Extension/future learning

Students can suggest improvements in the experiment.
Students can use reference books, textbooks and ICT to further investigate plant growing requirements.

Cross Curricular Links

English:
Writing descriptions from observations
Collating and presenting information

Mathematics: Represent data using graphs and diagrams.
Select and use appropriate calculation skills to solve problems involving data.
Use suitable measuring instruments for a task.

Key Skills: Communication
Application of number
Working with others
Problem solving

top



Garden Organic \| Schools project \| Contact \| Join	All content © HDRA Page last updated 19 June, 2006

National Curriculum Links
Sc1 1a -	that science is about thinking creatively to try and explain how living and non- living things work, and to establish links between causes and effects.
Sc1 1b -	that it is important to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement.
Sc1 2d -	make a fair test or comparison by changing one factor and observing or measuring the effect while keeping other factors the same.
Sc1 2f -	make systematic observations and measurements.
Sc1 2i -	make comparisons and identify simple patterns or associations in their observations and measurements or other data.
Sc1 2j -	use observations, measurements or other data to draw conclusions.

Learning Objectives
Students to carry out a scientific enquiry going through the stages of planning, obtaining and presenting evidence and considering evidence and evaluation.
Background Organic Information
Soil treatments can affect plant growth. Organic gardeners use bulky organic materials such as leafmould to improve the soil condition and structure. This gives crops an ideal growing situation.
Resources
Three small plots Seeds Leafmould Organic fertiliser
Time Required
Set-up time: 2 hours Investigation time: 10-12 weeks or longer if possible Follow up time: 2 hours
Structuring the lesson
Introduction Discuss the things that might affect plant growth. Discuss how one of these factors (soil structure and condition) could be tested. Activity Students to prepare three plots in which to sow seeds, or they could use transplants, by adding soil treatments to two of them. Students to sow seeds. Use same seed or transplants in all plots so that the test is fair. Over the next 10-12 weeks, or longer if possible, students to care for all the plants in the same way. Students to evaluate the effects of different soil treatments by examining the crop. Assess vigour (how well the plants have grown), height, yield and growth rate. Summary Discuss the effects of the different soil treatments on the growth of the plants. Discuss possible reasons for these differences.
Skills
See National Curriculum Links at the top of this page.
Vocabulary
Drill Leafmould Tilth Fertiliser
Differentiation
All students will respond to suggestions about how to find things out. (Level 2) All students will make observations related to their task. (Level 2) All students will make relevant observations and measure quantities, such as length, using a simple range of equipment. (Level 3) Some students will provide explanations for their observations. (Level 3)
Extension/future learning
Students can suggest improvements in the experiment. Students can use reference books, textbooks and ICT to further investigate plant growing requirements.
Cross Curricular Links
English:	Writing descriptions from observations Collating and presenting information
Mathematics:	Represent data using graphs and diagrams. Select and use appropriate calculation skills to solve problems involving data. Use suitable measuring instruments for a task.
Key Skills:	Communication Application of number Working with others Problem solving