Recording and reporting your results
The primary objective of the experiment is to determine how many tomato seeds germinate compared to the number planted. This is the key information that you, the teacher, will be asked to provide when you return to the website to submit your results. We cannot emphasize too much the need for the TEACHER to complete this section of the Tomatosphere Project. There are several reasons for this. First, there is an evaluative component to the project which is only suitable for teachers (and parents in home-schooling situations). Secondly, in the past, students entering the data often resulted in errors; this requires much extra effort to change, and, with over 9000 classes involved in the project, becomes an onerous task since individuals have to be telephoned to obtain the correct data.
As the teacher involved in the Tomatosphere process, you will also be asked to provide some comments about how well the Tomatosphere team administered the project - what we did well and how we can improve your experience and that of your students.
If your students are having difficulty in determining whether or not a plant has germinated, there is a "Tips 'n' Tricks" guide for Germination which has photos and a definition. You can also find definition the definition and a photo in the Teacher's Guide.
Keeping a class record is important for the project. One suggestion is to have large charts, one for each of the types of seeds.
The class records for the Tomatosphere Project can be illustrated in a number of ways. However, there are two suggested charts illustrated on the following pages. The first indicates the number of NEW germinated plants (seedlings) with every day indicated and every second day labelled across the X axis. The information is illustrated in the form of a bar graph.
The second indicates the total number of germinated plants using a form of line graph illustrated by tomatoes, with every day indicated and every seven days (one week) labelled.
You may, of course, adapt these graphs to the needs of the students in your class.
Students may augment their graphs with journal entries indicating the date, number of new seedlings, total number of seedlings and comments. A sample journal can be found in the teacher's guide.
Additional suggestions for recording
Some suggested variables which may be observed, measured, and recorded are:
- Growing conditions under which the experiment is conducted (e.g. temperature, hours of light, amount of applied fertilizer, watering conditions, type of soil etc.).
- Plant height (rate of growth).
- Number of flowers per plant.
- Number of mature fruit per plant.
- Total mass of the fruit from each plant.
- Average mass of each fruit per plant.
Tomatosphere is sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Heinz Canada, H.J. Heinz Company Foundation, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Stokes Seeds and the University of Guelph.
