Bulb Investigation

Resources:
1 bulb per student for observations and planting
1 bulb per group for dissection
Tape measures and equal arm balance with various masses

Activity
1. Select the bulb you are going to plant. Use this bulb for the following observations:

A. Complete the Bulb Mass (Weight) sheet, and the Bulb Circumference sheet.

2.  The teacher will give your group another bulb, which you will not plant. The teacher will dissect the bulb lengthwise (from the pointed top down through the base of the bulb) for you to make the following observations:

A. Describe everything you see and guess what each part serves.

B. The teacher will give you a copy of the Anatomy of a Bulb for you to compare your bulb and ideas with.

3. Scientific Illustration. Illustrate two views of the bulb, outside view of the bulb and the inside view of the dissected bulb. Spend time on your drawings paying attention to details and colour.

4. Write descriptive observations of your bulb using four senses: vision, smell, touch, and hearing. Do not taste bulbs because they are often treated with fungicides. Wash your hands after handling. You should observe textures, shapes, colours, and so on.

Vision:

Smell:

Touch:

Hearing:

B. Write five adjectives to describe your bulb to another person who has never seen a bulb. An adjective is a descriptive word. Use words that paint a picture. Words like "cool" and "gross" will not help for someone who has never seen one.

5. Predictions based on your observations.

Whose bulb do you believe will sprout first?

What might be the correlation between size, weight, and bloom date? Why do you think so?

6. Plant your bulb marking its location with a popsicle stick with your name on it.

7. When they are all planted, make a map of the garden bed to record sprout and bloom data in the spring.