How Does Your Garden Grow Virtual Lab

DAY 1

Hmmm....What do agronomists do?

Follow the link to learn about what YOU do as an agronomist!

Agronomists Career Profile

Using the link, as a group create a job flyer (In a word document) for fellow agronomists.

In the flyer, you must include:

What do agronomists do?

What are some requirements to be an agronomists?

What is the salary of an agronomist?

What is the benefit of agronomists?

*Be CREATIVE! Place a border and picture on your flyer along with bulleted points of the necessary information above.

*Print a copy of the flyer for each group member and use it as the cover page of your journal. Staple 7 pages of lined paper between the cover page and a blank white page (back cover)

*Write your name on the inside of your journal on the other side of the cover page.

If your group finishes early, check out this link. Take the quiz to see what you know!

Agronomist Quiz

DAY 2

You and your friends have planted 3 tomato plants. GREAT JOB!

Every 10 minutes for 22 days, you have taken a picture of the plant to record the growth.

You have compiled a video with the 2,158 pictures you have taken.

Watch your video below (At the bottom of the page!). Take notes in your plant journal on what you observe.

Use the diagram of the tomato plant above to describe the growth that takes place.

Questions to think about (write your thoughts in your journal to the questions below) :

What happened when the plant was watered? Why?

Why was it useful to create a time lapse video to observe your plant growing?

Why would you need to plant three tomato plants and not just one?

If your group finishes early, check out this website for more information on time lapse videos. On this website, you will be able to also watch a time lapse of a flower. You will also be able to read about how they are created.

Time Lapse Video

DAY 3

As agronomists, you must do some research before you are able to conduct more experiments.

You will create a graphic organizer to show the different types of soil.

*How to create the graphic organizer...Use a square piece of paper. Fold the paper in half both ways so that you create a center point. Fold the corners to the center. Label the top flap-Types of Soil. On the other three flaps, write Clay, Sand, and Loam.

*Watch the following video to gather information about each type of soil. (Different Types of Soil Video)

*Take notes in your journal.

-What the four elements growth of plants depend on? Circle the three that are related to soil.

-What are the three types of soil?

-What did you learn about the particles about clay?

-What did you learn about the particles sand?

-What did you learn about the particles of loam? What is loam a mixture of?

-Draw a picture in your journal to show the different layers of soil. Label the layers.

*Write a description (information your found in the video) of each type of foil under the flap for that soil. Under the Types of Soil tab, make a prediction as to which soil will be best to grow plants in. Also, justify why you think that soil will be best for plants.

Glue your graphic organizer into your journal so that you can refer back to it tomorrow.

If your group finishes early, "Dig Deeper with Soil Science" on the website below. Explore!

Dig Deeper with Soil Science

DAY 4

Now its your turn to do some experiments with SOIL, WATER, and SUNLIGHT.

You are going to grow your own garden!

In the Virtual Lab, you will complete different trials using the "Plant Growth Recording Sheet" that can be found at the bottom of the page with your resources.

You will take turns completing 27 different trials to determine which elements create the most fruit!

Use the recording sheet to complete each trial. You will use the sheet as a grid. In each box, you will write the number of fruit the plant produces.

*Along the top of the grid you will find the different types of soil. Down the side, you will find the amounts of sunlight. In the boxes, you will find the amounts of rain.

Directions:

1.) Go to the Virtual Lab

2.) Listen to the instructions as a group (Page 1-3 on the program)

3.) Print out the recording sheet.

4.) Create a group name for you and your agronomist friends! Record that information in your journal.

5.) Select level one.

6.) Again listen to the lab instructions shown on the screen.

7.) After you have completed all 27 trials and have recorded/collected your data, click on the results tab. Print the results (as many copies as students in your group.)

8.) Cut and glue your recorded data and the printed results into your journal.

9.) Analyze Data and take notes in your journal (What combination of sunlight, soil, and water created the most fruit?)

If you finish early, listen to the book Grow Flower Grow! You can find the link below.

Grow Flower Grow

DAY 5

Information for day 5 can be found under the evaluation tab on the side of the page.