OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to conduct an experiment to see how salt water affects plants and seeds

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does soil health, plant health, and peoples’ health relate?

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Salt
• Trays labeled “salt,” “no salt,” “no water”
• Soil
• Sunflower seeds or other microgreen seed
• Tape
• Sharpie
• Two solo cups (one labeled “with salt,” one labeled “no salt”)

PROCEDURE

Introduction: What happens to water on a field in a hot, dry climate? What does it leave behind? What does that do to the soil? 

Activity: Divide students into three groups. 

• Salt team sows micro-greens in tray with salty soil and waters them with salt water each day
• No salt team sows micro-greens in tray with regular soil and waters them with water each day.
• No water team sows micro-greens in regular soil and does not water them.

Wrap up: write down hypothesis: what do you think will happen to each tray?

Extensions: 

• Mesopotamian Food and Agriculture
• Mesopotamian Agriculture and Soil: Lesson 2