Journey North International Plant Study Spring 2007

Tulip Test Gardens

Update: March 16, 2007

Today's Report Includes:

Maps and Highlights >>
Explore: Risky Spring Weather and YOUR Tulips >>
News and Questions: From a Journey North Garden >>
What I Know: Creative Assessment for Elementary Students >>
Links: This Week's Tulip Garden Resources

Please report:
1. Tulips PLANTED
2. Tulips EMERGED
3. Tulips Bloomed
Click this on any page.

Maps and Highlights:

Highlights: The Irish aren’t the only ones celebrating green! We have an incredible 56 more GREEN gardens emerged in the past week! Do you know what is happening on March 21? The Equinox! In Anchorage, AK, gardeners have experienced an increase of 6 hours of daylight since December. How has daylength affected us all here in the Northern hemisphere? Has it brought Spring to your garden site?
	This Week's Map >> Data >> Slideshow (Week-by-week animation) >>
Questions about this week's map (handout) >>

Explore: Risky Spring Weather and YOUR Tulips

Spring weather is hard to predict! High and low pressure systems shift winds and weather around as the Northern Hemisphere warms up under the sun’s more direct light. This past week weather systems brought warmer than normal temperatures, but next week there could be snow!

Oh no! What will happen to the tulip plants in freezing weather? Read all about these hardy little plants. Then explain to others how the tulip plant is specially designed to survive weather surprises. >>

Photo: Suzanne DeJohn

News and Questions: From A Journey North Garden

While we are waiting for spring to spread across the map we’ll focus on special gardens each week. This week we have 10 years of garden data for you to explore!

Virginia Living Museum's Children's Learning Garden
Come visit a garden in Virginia's Living Museum. Since 1998 students have planted bags full of tulip bulbs and joined in the Journey North tulip garden study! At this unique museum students explore the biological and physical world in the garden and many natural exhibit areas.
They share their data archives with us this week! Study their garden data. Then put on your thinking caps and evaluate what you see!

How do the garden data compare from year to year?
Which year did spring arrive the earliest? the latest?
Find out more >>

What I Know: Creative Assessment for Elementary Students

How can you capture the wonder of spring plant growth and practice the Scientific Method at the same time?
Try this! Make a Tulip Book!
Students in Alton, NH created a tulip portfolio booklet to demonstrate what they learned during the Tulip Garden study. They thought you'd like to make one too and show what you learned this year. >>

Resources: This Week's Tulip Garden Resources

Useful Chart: How Does Your Garden Grow >>
Monitoring Weather: Tulips and Temperatures: Is this a Normal Spring? >>
Helpful Weather Links: Climate Weather and Seasons >>
Tulip Garden Journals (click-and-print) >>

More Journey North Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Tulip Garden Update Will Be Posted on March 23, 2006.