Who cares when it rains? - a student worksheet - print version

L a n d L e a r n : Who cares when it rains? - a student worksheet

Image: rainbow in a field

image: avocado

Who cares when it rains? a student worksheet

CSF Connections:
SOSE Natural and Social Systems Level 4:
Describe responses of different elements (including people) to changes in natural systems.
Science - Living Together Level 5 [Beginning]:
Explain the effects of various environmental changes on living things in ecosystems.

In this activity you will observe how a growing cereal grain
plant responds to different amounts of water.

Materials required:

» seed raising mix

» 3 seedling trays or pots

» 100 ml. measuring cylinder

» seeds (wheat, barley or oats)

» labels (1, 2, & 3)

» results recording sheets similar to below:

Results record - changes noted:

DAY	TRAY 1 = ......ml. every 3 days	TRAY 2 = ......ml. every 3 days	TRAY 3 = no watering after Day 1
1
2
3
â
14	STOP WATERING NOW
etc

Procedure:

»	Fill the 3 trays or pots with the seed raising mix.
»	Fill the measuring cylinder to the 100 ml mark.
»	Gently water the soil in one tray until it is saturated and draining from the bottom. This will be tray number 1.
»	Record the amount of water on the results sheet.
»	With tray number 2 apply half of the amount of water
»	With tray number 3 apply quarter the amount of water.
»	Spread the same amount of seeds over the soil in each of the trays.
»	Rake the soil lightly to cover the seeds and lightly press the soil.
»	Tray 1 and tray 2 will need to be watered with the appropriate amounts of water every 3 days.
»	Tray 3 will not be watered again.

Record changes that occur in your trays for the next 2 weeks. Once the two weeks are over, stop watering but continue to record the changes in each tray.

Questions:

1. Which tray germinated the fastest? Why?

2. Which tray produced the most plants?

3. Which watering condition was the best? Suggest reasons why?

4. Comment on the importance of rainfall after sowing a cereal crop.

5. What other weather factors are important to farmers?

6. What do we mean by the word 'drought'?

7. How might limited water supplies affect:
a) a farmer?
b) city people?
c) food prices in the supermarket?

8. Do different types of crops need different weather conditions?

Further Activities:

1. Interview a farmer to find out about the "ideal" weather conditions for farming in your area. Collate the findings of students' interviews to produce a description of the "ideal" weather. Compare this description to the reality of the weather over a given time, eg. the last five years.

2. Collect media items about the current water shortages in parts of Victoria. Discuss ways individuals and groups in the community can cope with limited water supplies and uncertainty of rainfall.

Student Worksheet adapted from Pride in Victorian Farming DNRE 1996 -a LandLearn Resource Book for CSF Level 4