Introduction

Congratulations! You and your classmates have been asked to be part of a REAL, international science project. If we decide to become members of the Tomatosphere Project Team, we will be providing assistance for future space travel.
Do you want to be part of this exciting project? Are you ready to become a scientist on the Tomatosphere Project Team?
Before we make this important decision, you need to do some research and find out more details about the Tomatosphere Project.
Click on the link below to begin your search for facts about Tomatosphere.

Task

Task

Good scientists consider all the facts before they make an important decision. You need to find out the following information:  

• What is Tomatosphere?

• What is the experiment and how will it be done?

• Why are scientists doing this experiment?

For this quest, you will be working in groups of three. Every member of the group has an important role to play in gathering information so we can decide if we want to become part of the Tomatosphere Project Team. Each person in the group will choose one role:

The Investigator Scientist

Investigator Scientists dig into the unknown by observing, understanding and piecing together knowledge and data.

The Regulator Scientist

Regulator Scientists make sure that the science and technology being used are safe and reliable.

The Explorer Scientist

Explorer Scientists are often on a journey of discovery "to boldly go where no man has gone before".

Once you have chosen your role, you will be finding information to help us with our decision. Click here to get ID badges for your group.

As a group, you will use the information you have found to make a report to the other members of our class. You may publish your report as a Word/Pages booklet, PowerPoint/Keynote presentation, or another format that has been approved by your teacher.

Before you begin, everyone needs to know more about scientists. You must answer the following questions:

• What is a scientist?

• What do scientists do?

Click here to download a worksheet for recording your answers.

First, read the book "What is a Scientist?" by, Barbara Lehn.

Next, watch the following videos:

What is a Scientist?

What Do You Think a Scientist Does?

Now that you know some information about scientists, it's time to continue your quest. Click on the link below to go on to the next step.

Process  

 

Process

You will be working in a group of three. Each of you will have a specific role in the group. The roles are:

The Investigator Scientist

It is your job to answer the question:

What is Tomatosphere?

Go to the Tomatosphere website and watch the video "Tomatoes in Space" - look for it in the sidebar on the right.

While viewing the video, use the worksheet (click here) and record answers to the following questions:

1. What is Tomatosphere?
2. Who can participate in Tomatosphere?
3. Why did the Project Team choose tomatoes for this experiment?
4. What will the Project Team do with the data collected?
5. Why don't the astronauts eat packaged food? Why do they need fresh food?

*Hint: Remember to pause the video while you are watching and record your information.
Are you ready to do your research? Click on the link below and begin. Please be patient - it takes a few seconds to get started!

Tomatosphere Website

You may also click here to collect more information about Tomatosphere.

Now that you have completed your research, please teach the other members of your group about the Tomatosphere project.

The Regulator Scientist

It is your job to answer this question:

What is an experiment and how is it done?

Scientists use the scientific method when they want to do an investigation. The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. The steps of the scientific method are:

1. Question - Scientists write down what they want to learn.
2. Hypothesis - After doing research, scientists try to predict the answer to the problem. Another term for hypothesis is "educated guess". This is usually stated like "If I ...(do something) then ... (this will occur)".
3. Experiment - The fun part! Scientists design a test or procedure to find out if their hypothesis is correct. They write down exactly what must be done for their experiment step by step. It is important for any experiment to be a fair test. A "fair test" occurs when you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.
4. Observation - Record what happened during the experiment. This is also known as "data collection".
5. Conclusion - Review the data and check to see if the hypothesis was correct. It is not "bad" if the hypothesis was wrong, because the scientist still discovered something!

Watch the video below to learn more about the Scientific Method.

The Scientific Method

You may also click here to gather more information about the scientific method.

Now that you have finished your research on experiments, download the worksheet (click here) and record your information. 

Next, please share your information with the other members of your group and teach them about experiments.

The Explorer Scientist

It is your job to answer this question:

Why are scientists doing this experiment?

Go to the Tomatosphere website and watch the video "Tomatoes in Space" - look for it in the sidebar on the right.
While viewing the video, use the worksheet (click here) and record answers to the following questions:

1. Why is this experiment being done?
2. What do tomato seeds and astronauts have in common?
3. What different areas of science are needed to get people to Mars?
4. Why was Mars chosen as the place to be in space?
5. How long will it take to get to Mars?
6. Is there somewhere closer to go?

*Hint: Remember to pause the video while you are watching and record your information.
Are you ready to do your research? Click on the link below and begin. Please be patient - it takes a few seconds to get started!

Tomatosphere Website

Click here to watch a short CBC News video about a Space Veggie Garden.

You may also click here to collect more information about the purpose of the experiment and exploring space.

Now that you have completed your research, please teach the other members of your group about why the Tomatosphere experiment is being done.

Group Research

Before you begin creating your report and publishing the information you have collected, you need to do a bit more research about conducting the experiment. Go to the links below to find answers to the following questions:

1. What materials do we need for our experiment?
2. Where will we keep our germination centre?
3. When should we plant the seeds?
4. How do we plant the seeds?
5. How will we make sure the seeds don't get mixed up?
6. What is germination?
7. How do we record the data we collect?

Click here to download a worksheet to record your answers.
Remember, you are working together on this part of the quest - you only need one worksheet for your group.

Links:

Tomatosphere Website

Seed Germination - Watch a short video.

Seed Starting Guidelines

Germination - What is it?

Observations - Samples of how to collect and record our data.

You have finished your research. Well done! Before you begin your report, it's time to take a break. Go to the link below and have some fun!


Space Operations Learning Centre (SOLC) - Explore the International Space Station. 


Now it's time to begin your report. Click on the link below for information and directions on writing your report.

Evaluation

Evaluation

Your research is done! Now it's time for your team to show everything they have learned.

As a group, you will use the information you have gathered to make a report to the other members of our class. You may publish your report as a Word/Pages booklet, PowerPoint/Keynote presentation or another format that has been approved by your teacher.

Be creative and make sure you include all the information you collected during your research.

Your report must include answers to the questions:

1. What is Tomatosphere?
2. What is the experiment and how will it be done?
3. Why are scientists doing this experiment?

Remember, this is a group project. 

• Work together.
• Be respectful.
• Listen to each other.
• Everyone must do their part (no bosses or bossiness).

You will be evaluated on your organization, ideas, language use, COPS (conventions) and how well you worked as a group.

Click here for a checklist to help keep you on track!

Work hard, have fun, do your best!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have finished the Webquest. You worked hard and learned all about Tomatosphere.  Are you ready to become a scientist on the Tomatosphere Project Team?? Let's get planting!!

Want to have more fun? Click on the link below.

Fun Links