Organizing
the Tulip Project/Grade 7
Contributed
by Holly Cerullo
Grade 7, Joyce Middle School
Woburn, MA
How
Many Bulbs?
- We
plant approximately 50 bulbs ;1 bulb per 2 students.
Starting
in the Fall:
- Before
the students receive their bulbs to plant, the students
spend 1 class period observing, drawing, and recording
information on old bulbs which I cut in half. This
lesson, with charts and cross sections, is on the
JN website.
- During
another class period, not necessarily consecutive,
each student pair receives their bulb for planting
and measures
the circumference and mass of their bulb.
Using the charts and lessons on bulb measurements,
provided by Journey
North, plus the emerging and blooming dates
from our gardens over the past 7 years, students predict
when
their own bulb will emerge and bloom. This
takes one class period to measure and record the data.
Students
graph the data for homework.
The next day, the students compare their graphs in cooperative groups
of four and then work with their bulb partner to make their predictions.
- During
another class period, we discuss the past years' weather
conditions and include information on predictions for the
upcoming winter weather in our area. Using this information,
students work in groups of four to make another
prediction as to when they think our first tulip
will emerge and bloom. We then average all the group predictions
to get a class prediction. Students write the class prediction
in their journals. This takes 1 or 2 class periods and
can take place any time during the fall planting.
- All
tulip information papers; tulip bulb cross section and
observation sheet, graphs of circumference and mass, drawing
of garden, etc., are kept in a folder that is left in the
room. We can then refer to these whenever we have a discussion
about the tulip project.
When
Spring Updates Begin to Arrive:
- Before
we plot the first emerging tulips, I ask my students in
which states they think tulips will emerge first. This
is a class discussion and the students have to defend their
predictions. After a class discussion of about 10 minutes,
I put the students into groups of four. In these groups,
they are to create a list of the first 15 states to have
tulips emerge. This takes the rest of the class period.
- When
the emerging updates arrive, I print one copy
of the emerging gardens which I tack to the bulletin
board
containing a
40"x30" map of the United States.
Students take turns plotting the gardens, using
the longitude
and latitude
of the city, given on the update.
- Gardens
are marked with a colored map tack. Each color represents
one half of a month. (Ex: red - Jan 16-31; yellow
- Feb 1-15) This usually takes one class period to
explain and demonstrate. After that, students can
plot them will the rest of the class continues whatever
lesson we are doing at the time.
- After
the first few (January) gardens are plotted, we take a
few minutes to discuss where they are and how this fits
their predictions. We then spend 5 or 10 minutes each week
to discuss the pattern that develops as we plot more gardens.
We use the one large classroom map and maps printed from
the Journey North website to discuss patterns, predictions,
and previous years' data.
- I
plot only emerging dates on our classroom map. However,
I use print outs of blooming maps from the Journey
North website for discussion and comparisons to our
own garden.
- We
continue plotting and discussing, once a week for
about 10 minutes, until the middle of May.
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