Tulip Garden Update: March 28, 1997

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

Note:
If your garden is not listed properly, be sure to report news from your garden according to these instructions:

How to REPORT:
On the left-hand side of this page you'll see anowl 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!

Housekeeping Needs
By the way, we're sure many of you have already had to do some spring cleaning. We would like to take care of some spring housekeeping of our own too that may help clear things up a bit. But, we need your help!

Several teachers have said it's difficult to plot tulip data because the cities are hard to find on many maps. In addition, much class time is spent using the road atlas. Teachers have asked that latitude and longitude readings be provided instead, as they feel this would be of more value to students.

Few participants are including this information with their sightings. We can't manually add lat/long information to the data ourselves. Therefore, we ask that all participants take the time to learn their own latitude and longitude, and include it with their sightings.

Here are resources you can use:

• Look up your lat/long on the U.S. Geological Survey WWW Database
• Call the USGS for lat/long data: 1-800-USA-MAPS
• Calculate Your Own Latitude and Longitude Classroom Lesson: "Where in the World?"

Calling All Northern Gardeners!
Many southern areas have reported that their tulips have bloomed, but spring has not sprung everywhere yet, so there is still time for northern gardens to participate in the Growing Degree Day Lesson. In fact, we would like to feature your classroom if it has or is doing the Growing Degree Lesson.

In this lesson, students measure the average daily temperatures in their area for several days before the tulips emerge or bloom. Using these temperature readings, the students can then figure out the actual amount of heat received--called growing degree days--in order for the tulips to emerge or bloom.

• Click Here for "Growing Degree Day" Lesson.

Speaking of Northern Gardens...
Did you notice that of all the Journey North tulip gardens planted, our northernmost tulip garden is in Utsjoki, Finland? They planted their tulip garden on September 17, 1996. We haven't heard whether their tulips have bloomed yet, so we would like you to make a prediction in Challenge Question #8:

Challenge Question # 8
"When do you predict the tulip garden in Utsjoki, Finland will bloom?" (Lat 69.900 N, Lon 26.900 W)

To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.

In last week's Challenge Question #6, we asked "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?"

Mrs. Nabut's class at Fyle Elementary School in Henrietta, NY analyzed all of the data and determined a broad range of days between tulips' emerging and blooming.

"We think the average number of days it took from emerging tulips to blooming tulips was 23 days. We think the range of days was from 8 to 30 for the tulips to go from emerge to bloom."
Thanks!
Mnabut@mail.rh.monroe.edu

How to Respond to Journey North Tulip Challenge Question # 8

1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-tulip@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question # 8
3. In the body of the message, give your answer to this question:

Challenge Question # 8
"When do you predict the tulip garden in Utsjoki, Finland will bloom?" (Lat 69.900 N, Lon 26.900 W)

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 April 11, 1997.