Uriah McKinney, Macalester College

Tulip Garden Update: March 14, 1997

• Click Here to View Blooming Data
• Click Here to View Emerged Data

How to REPORT:
On the left-hand side of this page you'll see a blue owl button. Simply press the button and a FIELD DATA FORM will appear. If you have any trouble using this system, send a message to our feedback form We'd be happy to help you!

Challenge Question # 6
"According to data from the gardens in bloom, on average how many days did it take for tulips to bloom after they emerged? What was the range of days required for tulips to grow and bloom?"

Try This!
We will provide emerging and blooming data in each report this spring. Organize your class into cooperative groups. Have each group select a garden where tulips have emerged. Based on the averages figured for Challenge Question #6, do you think you can predict when your selected garden will bloom? If you think you need more information, contact the gardeners at your selected site. Also, keep your eye on temperatures in their city, and see how temperatures affects rate of growth. If your own tulips haven't bloomed yet, perhaps the average you figured for Challenge Question #6 will help you refine your predictions. Hold a class contest and see who can predict the date your garden will come into flower.

Analyzing Data
Challenge Question # 4 asked students "What correlation do you see between the date these gardens were planted and the date they bloomed? How do you explain this?" Here's what students noticed:

From ALBERTA:
We saw that in all of the city's the tulips had bloomed in about 2 and a half months. We suspect that this is because they are all either by an ocean or a desert. This means they are all in a relatively warm or hot climate.
Mrs. Thaxters Grade Six Class
Lakeview School Lethbridge, AB
(lakeview@upanet.uleth.ca)

From MAINE:
We noticed that warmer climates plant their tulips later and the tulips bloom sooner. We compared the four sites to our climate in Maine. We planted our tulips in early October and they haven't emerged yet.
Mary Gerber (mgerber@horton.col.k12.me.us)

Uriah McKinney, Macalester College

What's Wrong With This Picture?
In our last report, there were surprising results. Tulips had emerged in a Minneapolis garden, at the center of North America. (See map above.) Meanwhile, other gardens in the same city were still buried under snow! We asked Challenge Question # 5, "What questions do you have about the 4th Grader's garden at Morris Park School? Why do you suspect tulips have emerged so early at this school? What should the reporter look for? "

Students were full of good questions! Thanks to Ms. Gerber's class in Maine (mgerber@horton.col.k12.me.us), Lakeview School, Lethbridge Alberta (lakeview@upanet.uleth.ca), Westside Intermediate School (wsis@shore.intercom.net), Ms. Kindig's class in St. Paul, Minnesota and Ms. Talbert's students in Laytonville, California for thinking this through. Here are their ideas. (We'll send the reporter to investigate!)

• Was the bed at the Journey North office covered by higher snow drifts last winter than Mr. Rosso's tulip bed?
• What are the ground and air temperatures where the tulips emerged and where they haven't emerged?
• Are the emerging tulips close to a south wall of the building?
• Maybe their garden is by a big building and the heat comes out and it is hot by the building.
• The tulips are probably on the south side of the building and the sun shines most there.
• Which tulip beds get a lot of shade?
• Which tulip gardens get a lot of sun?
• What kind of soil is in this garden?
• What size bulbs were planted?
• Are you having a warm spring?
• Is you garden near a building?
• If they planted their tulips near a foundation that is giving off heat?
• Is your school near a river or a body of water?
• Was there some kind of fertilizer or nutrient in the soil where the tulips came up?
• Has that area been cared for and watererd more than other areas because of previous plant-life? (If it has, the soil would be easier and more nutritious for plant-life to grow there.)

We think a reporter should look for:

• The location of the tulips.
• The air temperature.
• The ground temperature, because it does have an affect on plant-life.

Sara and Ashely from Laytonville, California added this note: "We are so happy that your tulips have finally come up. We hope the snow will melt and more will pop up soon!" (ltalbert@mail.mcn.org) These students have generated an excellent list of factors that make up the "microclimate" of a place. How would you describe the microclimate of your garden? Click Here for a lesson on microclimate.

After all the challenging questions we've asked students, how about a question for teachers?

Challenge Question # 7
"How are things going?"

Do you have suggestions, problems complaints or ideas to share? Have your exchanges with your partner gardens been successful? Is the project holding the students' interest? (In warm regions? How about in cold regions, where tulips are still underground?) Do you need more activities to do? How can we help you? Please write to us directly and let us know. We'd love to hear from you! Send E-mail to: jn-talk@learner.org

How to Respond to Journey North Tulip Challenge Question # 6

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-tulip@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question # 6
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to this question:

Challenge Question # 6
"According to data from the gardens in bloom, on average how many days did it take for tulips to bloom after they emerged? What was the range of days required for tulips to grow and bloom?"

Don't Forget!
Please include the name of your school and your location so we can credit you properly for your answers.

The Next Tulip Garden Update Will be Posted on March 28, 1997.