Developed through a collaboration with PIEFA, Rising salt addresses AC Science Understanding ACSSU094 The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment, through the context of growing plants under various conditions.

Rising salt provides students with hands-on opportunities to:

  • investigate if different methods of watering affect plant growth and health
  • investigate if differing concentrations of salt in water affects plant growth and health
  • plan an effective watering system

Students apply their new learning by:

  • designing and evaluating an irrigation or water trough system that minimises the consumption of water

Linking science with literacy

In the Primary Connections approach, students are supported to create representations that draw on and strengthen their literacy development. In Rising salt, students represent and explain their understanding about how the growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment, by creating these representations:

  • Factual text
  • Glossary
  • Graph
  • Ideas map
  • Labelled diagram
  • Poster
  • TWLH chart
  • Word wall

External resources

This unit is sponsored by PIEFA: Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia