Science

Hello, Adventurers!

Jack traded the family cow for some magic beans. The woman who traded Jack the beans, said that if he planted the beans in the best soil, something magical would happen. We need your help to examine the properties of different types of soils to recommend the best soil for Jack to use to plant his beans!

Best of Luck,

The Adventure Team

*Parents: This is a process students will work through more than one time. Please keep in mind that as they work through the two data sets, they will learn more, and make adjustments to their soil recommendations.

LETTER 1

Jack Stalk

1235 Bean Lane

Giant, FL 33257

Greetings,

I can’t believe my luck! I just traded the family cow for some magic beans. The woman that traded me said that if I planted them in the correct soil, something very magical would happen! My family does not farm, so I don’t know anything about the soil in my area. I have researched some different types of soil, and have developed a data table that includes the types of soil, the growth rate, the number of beans produced, watering needs, and texture. I need your team to come up with a way to decide which soil I should use.

All the information you needsto decide the best type of soil are in the documents “Magic Beans Data Set 1” and the “Soil Research Article”. Be sure to read the guiding questions to help you during the challenge. Please explain your procedures, including the information that helped you make your decision, and describe your process. Then, copy and complete the letter template below with a list of the best to worst types of soil to plant my magic beans.

Thank you,

Jack Stalk

1. Who is the client for this problem?

2. Why does the client need our help?

3. What do you need to create to solve the client's problem?

4. What things are required to be in your written document to the client?

5. What might be the biggest challenge with solving this problem?

Date: __________________

Dear Jack,

I have reviewed the table of data that was provided. I have created a list in order from “Best to Worst” of the types of soil you should use to plant your magic beans. The order is as follows:

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

5. ?

Based on these results, I believe the top soil choice is _____________________.

The procedure I used to determine the order was _____________________.

Sincerely,
_______________________________________

LETTER 2

Jack Stalk

1235 Bean Lane

Giant, FL 33257

Greetings,

I want to thank you for the fantastic job you did helping me select the correct soil to use. The information in your letter was very helpful. Unfortunately, I just read about soil texture and I am not sure how that helps the plants grow.

I need you to rank the soils again from “best to worst” using the new information in the “Magic Beans Data Set 2”. Use the letter template below to let me know the new “best to worst” list, your top choice, and if your procedure changes. Use the letter template to help you write your response.

Thank you,

Jack Stalk

Date: __________________

Dear Jack,

I have reviewed the second table of data that was provided. I have created a list in order from “Best to Worst” of the types of soil you should use to plant your magic beans. The order is as follows:

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

5. ?

Based on these results, I believe the top soil choice is _____________________.

The procedure I used to determine the order was _____________________.

(Explain if your procedure changed this time. If your procedure changes, explain why you made these changes.)

Sincerely,
_______________________________________

Do you love the love animals? If you answered yes, then you may want to consider a career as a zoologist!

Zoologists study all things related to animals. This includes the tiniest lizards and the largest elephants! Zoologists collect and analyze data, study animals, identify animal species, plan conservation efforts for endangered species, research environmental effect on animals and their habitats, and much more!

Zoologist work in zoos, museums, university, laboratories, and in the field (outdoors in the natural animal habitats). While working the field, zoologists keep detailed notes, observations, and sketches to capture their research on the animals they are studying.

To begin their career, zoologists must complete a college degree in Biology and/or Zoology. Many zoologists earn advanced degrees to further their careers.

Source: Science Kids

Join Mystery Doug as he helps us find out if dragons were ever real!?

Video: Were Dragons Ever Real?

1. Were dragons ever real? Why do you think that?
2. What did this lesson make you curious about? What other questions do you have about dragons?
3. A fire-breathing dragon would be amazing! But no one has ever discovered a living animal that breathes real fire. Why do you think that is? Imagine what it would be like to have blazing hot fire come out of your mouth! What problems do you think that might cause? Describe these problems or draw a picture that shows them.

Read this article to gather more information for your project!

Imagine that you are a zoologist working in your outdoor lab in a remote location. During a normal work day, you discover the first fire breathing dragon! What details about the new creature would you capture in your field notes? Design your field note entry for this extraordinary day!