Tulip Garden Update: November 7, 2003
Today's Report Includes:
- On Our Way with 134 and Counting
- News of Tulip Project Hits the Press!
- Spread the News and Share the Bulbs: Challenge Question #7
- Students Take the Challenge (#4) to Ask, “What if..?”
- Seasons and Cycles: Indoor Bulb Experiments
- Temperature Experiments: Starting with a Good Question
- Which will be First? Revisiting Challenge Question #5
- Teacher Tips: New Inquiry Strategies
- How to Report to Journey North
- How
to Respond to Todays Challenge Questions
On Our Way with 134 and Counting
In
October's report there were 23 gardens reported planted, but the word got
out around the globe! So far 134 gardens have been planted!
Hurry and
plant your garden so it will be on the final map published in the next
Update Dec. 5.
Here are a few of the gardener's comments:
Planted
Just in Time
Richardton, ND
We planted our tulips on a Wednesday (10/22). The temperature was 17 degrees
C, the ground was dry and compact and digging was difficult at first but
improved as we dug deeper. We now, on November 4th, have 6 inches of snow
on the ground and temperatures in the -2 degrees to 0 degrees C.
Tulips
and Eggs!
Summit, NJ
53 kindergartners planted tulip bulbs (10/22) by the front door to our
school. Our custodian dug out the planting area. They are wondering what
will come from these "Mystery Things." We will be reading the
books "Bear's Eggs" and "An Extraordinary Egg" to
encourage them to speculate as to the results. The children will also
plant tulip bulbs in pots for forcing, and then we will discuss the difference
in growth and the reasons for these differences.
Toads,
Tulips and Weather
Victoria, MN
I procrastinated long enough--snow is in the forecast so I dug in (careful
to not dig up any toads) and planted my tulips today!
News of Tulip Project Hits the Press!
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Brattleboro
students in the news |
Here is their report:
“We planted our tulips in the courtyard of our school today. It was such a great event that the local newspaper reporters came and took pictures and wrote a story. They say it will be in tomorrow's paper! It was very cold and rainy today. We bundled up and went out and got a little muddy. We were glad that the rain will help the tulips be happy under the ground. The bulbs will take a long rest- hibernate, and then come up right outside out window!”
Why not share the excitement of participating in this scientific study with your community!?
Spread the News and Share the Bulbs
Each year as we watch the map fill up with tulip gardens we wonder what it would be like if there were twice as many sites to help us predict spring’s arrival in North America. Do you see a place on the map that needs some tulips planted? You can help!
Garden Buddies
Why not send a note to a friend in a place that needs a garden site? Wouldn’t it be neat to set them up so you and your classroom could share information about your 2 gardens? You might even send them some Red Emperor bulbs to get started. It would be fun to see who can find the garden site that is the farthest away.
Challenge Question #7:
“Who did you find to be your Garden Buddy? How many miles away do they live?”
(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.)
Students Take the Challenge (#4) to Ask, “What if..?”
Young scientists all across the country took the time to fill in the blank: “What would happen if…?” and planted experimental tulip gardens. Read what some of them have done:
Depth and Upside-down
Tremont, IL
Our experimental garden contains bulbs planted at 4 inches deep, 9 inches deep, and upside down. We will consider other locations for planting to test the microclimate.
Cub Run ElementaryPlanting Depth
Cub Run, KY
We planted 2 bulbs two inches down, 2 four inches down, and 2 seven inches down in another plot. Then we can see if depth of planting makes a difference. We took a picture of our class to commemorate the occasion.Upside-down and Facing East
Rockville, MD
We planted 13 bulbs in 2 sections, following the Journey North directions. We decided to change one variable in the remaining two sections of the garden. In the third area we planted 9 bulbs upside down. In our last section, we planted 9 bulbs facing east.Foundation Planting
Willshire, OH
On October 13th we planted 61 tulip bulbs. Students tried to accurately measure the planting depth and distance apart. Six bulbs were planted in an experimental plot near a building foundation.In Flower Pots
Raleigh, NC
20 bulbs were planted in the bed (according to the directions) and 10 experimental bulbs were planted elsewhere. Some of the places were under trees, in holes deeper and not as deep as the directions stated, and some were in flower pots.|Soil Amendments
Cedar Rapids, IA
Our 7-8th graders planted 25 tulip bulbs today. We also planted another 25 with different variables such as depth, bulb orientation, and bone meal variation.
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While waiting for your garden to grow, you can use the time to experiment with bulbs indoors.
"Forcing" bulbs can bring your experiments conveniently closer to your classroom.
Try it now!
Temperature Experiments: Starting with a Good Question
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| Asking
a good question takes some thought |
Find out more, practice and learn to put good questions before your experiment ideas:
Which will be First? Revisiting Challenge Question #5
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Last month we welcomed 2 gardens, both planted at 60N latitude. Although planted at the same latitude, these 2 gardens are located on separate continents. This map shows the gardens at Haines High School in Haines, Alaska (59,-135) and the Mikela School in Espoo, Finland (60, 21).
We will re-visit these gardens later in the season, so in the meantime to help you with your prediction learn about the climates of both regions and answer this:
How are the planting sites similar and different?
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New! Inquiry Strategies |
From creating a climate for Inquiry in your classroom to generating questions to engage young minds, these helpful tips will guide and stimulate your teaching.
How to Report to Journey North
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Simply press the "Owl" button to report from your site. (From
the same button, you can also "Go to the Sightings Database"
and read comments from all gardeners.
How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question
IMPORTANT: Answer only ONE question in each e-mail message.
1. Address
an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-tulip@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question #7.
3. In the body of the message, answer ONE of the questions above.
The Next Tulip Garden Update Will be Posted on December 5, 2003.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form
