Journey North International Plant Study Spring 2004

Tulip Garden Update: February 20, 2004

Today's Report Includes:

Starting to Show Green
Mighty Ducks’ Tulips Under Close Watch
Hobo’s In the Garden: Mystery Garden X
Challenge Question #4
What Makes Them Grow? Discussion of Challenge Question #1
Predicting Pequot with Statistics: Discussing Challenge Question #2
Seasons and Cycles: Place and Time in Spring

Starting to Show Green
Every day now we place more green on the Tulip Garden Map. Since our last report we have 12 new gardens emerging. Take a minute to review today’s map with maps from the past 2 weeks:


Feb. 6	Feb. 13	Feb. 20

What do you predict next week’s map will show? Will your garden be showing green?

Mighty Ducks’ Tulips Under Close Watch
Fairfield, IL Third graders and their teacher, Gayle McGehee discovered something terrific at recess Tuesday. Signs of spring have shown up on their playground with almost 1/2 of the fifty tulip bulbs they planted last fall emerging.

“Team captain Ali measured the tallest sprout at 2 - 1/2 inches. Other sprouts are just peeking at us through the dirt. The sprouts just peeking out are red the taller ones are more green in color. Our class estimates that the sprouts will begin to bloom when they are between 5-6 inches in height.”


Close inspection reveals a hidden surprise!

As spring continues its advanced across the Northern Hemisphere we can add another dot for this garden located in southern IL, at 38.4 Latitude and -88.35 Longitude. The class estimates that the sprouts will begin to bloom when they are between 5-6 inches in height. Now when will they bloom? And, why do they have a chicken wire frame on the top of the tulip planting?

Hobo’s In the Garden: Mystery Garden X
Having a new tool to carry out experiments is like playing with a new toy. During the tulip experiment some Journey North classrooms signed up with iScience to use a new tool, the Hobo Data Recorder in their gardens. A special email arrived at the Journey North headquarters with a package of data fresh from the garden. Where is this garden? Look for clues.


Temperatures above the snow	Temperatures below the snow

Try this step-by-step approach for analyzing this garden data.

Hobos in the Garden: Reading Temperature Data

Then use what you learned to answer this:

Challenge Question #4:
“Which graph has the greatest range in temperatures? Why is there a difference? What can we say about the location of this Mystery Garden X?” (We’ll find out in our next Update - stay tuned!)

(To respond to these questions, please follow the instructions below.)

What Makes Them Grow? Discussion of Challenge Question #1
What causes our tulips to emerge out of the soil? We asked, "What are the most important factors that affect WHEN your tulips will emerge?"

Your answers included the critical factors. Great thinking! Soil temperature and the right amount of moisture are critical. You also mentioned daylength. (Another word for daylength is “photoperiod.”) “Having a longer day, might also help,” you wrote.
Thanks to Mallika in Lexington MA, and Joan from Milford for taking the challenge.

Predicting Pequot with Statistics: Discussing Challenge Question #2
Many of you beamed down to Pequot Lakes this week to review their tulip emerging dates for the past 8 years.
Mallika Rangan, a fourth grade, from Harrington School, in Lexington, MA had a thoughtful answer:

“According to the data of Pequot Lake, MN, I think the tulips in 2004 will emerge around late April. When I looked at the data, I roughly calculated the median of the time that tulips emerged. That would be about April 2 or so. But since we have had such a cold winter, the tulips might emerge in late April.

Keep your eyes on the MapServer. We’ll have to wait to see!

Seasons and Cycles: Place and Time in Spring

Each photograph in Ken Leslie's Art Book, Space and Time, was taken a week apart

Often we witness spring’s emergence while we focus on the tulip garden. When the tulips begin to grow we know the seasons are changing. We notice that days are longer and warmer, birds are migrating through, and change is happening everywhere. Why not capture more of this wondrous time of year?

Study a beautiful idea presented by book artist Ken Leslie then create your own record of springtime.

Place and Time in Spring

How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions:

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 #4.
3. In the body of EACH message, give your answer to ONE of the questions above.

The Next Tulip Garden Update Will Be Posted on February 27, 2004.