September 16, 2004 

This container of 3 beans, sand, and plastic tub arrived in our classroom.  

It came with a note that told us how to plant the beans, which we followed carefully.

We wonder where this came from and what it means!

September 16, 2004 

Here is the note we received.  The full moon was two days ago so we planted the beans today.

We later found out that the other two fourth grade 

classrooms had received the same note and beans!  Ah Ha! 

September 17, 2004 

We got a new note so we watered our beans as directed.

September 22, 2004 

This note was delivered to our school secretary.  We followed directions carefully. 

September 24, 2004 

Another note appeared.  This one was taped to our classroom window outside.  

We checked the calendar - full moon is September 28th.

September 24, 2004 

This is what the magic beans in our class looked like.  

Curiosity was getting the better of us.

Mrs. Renz snuck into the other classrooms and took photos 

of the bean containers in the other fourth grade classrooms.

September 24, 2004 

Mrs. Pedersen's class beans

September 24, 2004 

Mr. Lay's beans might be sprouting!  See the left middle of the photo.

September 28, 2004 

Our bean plant is breaking through the ground

September 30, 2004 

We followed the directions.  Our plant seemed thankful to get watered.

September 30, 2004 

Mr. Lay's class bean has popped up through the soil also.  

Mrs. Pedersen's container of beans has not sprouted yet.

Our plant grew to a height of 5 and 3/4 inches.  

Mrs. Pedersen's plant never did grow.  Mr Lay's plant grew 2 inches tall.  

October 29

We got this note along with two bags of beans (see below).

We brainstormed what could have happened.  See our results  below.

MAGIC BEANS RESULTS FROM MRS. RENZ'S CLASS

What we know:

1. Each class planted 3 beans each.

2. Our plant grew in sand and was 5 and 3/4 inches tall.

3. Mrs. Pedersen's grew in potting soil and never sprouted.

4. Mr. Lay's grew in hard soil and grew about 2 inches tall.

5. Every class had a different kind of soil.

6. We all watered our plants the same according to the directions on the notes.

REASONS WE THINK THIS:

Mrs. Pedersen's soil is heavier than our class' and the plant had a harder time getting out of  the soil.

Mrs. Pedersen had bark dust and tiny pebbles and the bark dust was heavy.

Mrs. Pedersen had dead beans

Mr. Lay had kind of healthy beans.

We had the healthiest kind of bean.

Mr. Lay's looked like they didn't water it, but they did.

Mrs. Pedersen's class got the "no good, dirty rotten beans" and ours & Mr. Lays' class got the good ones

Our soil (sand) worked because it wasn't hard like Mr. Lay's and the water didn't have a hard time getting through so ours grew the tallest.

Maybe we had more light than Mr. Lay and Mrs. Pedersen because our room is more out in the open.  Mr. Lay has a portable building and Mrs. Pedersen has trees in front of her windows.

Mr. Lay's soil was a hard type of soil and it kept hardening when they watered it.

Mr. Lay kept the beans on the overhead and not in the windowsill like ours and Mrs. Pedersen's class.

Mr. Lay's class put theirs in the windowsill sometimes but it was shady because he has a lot of plants near the bean plant.

We might have had different beans than the other classes.

Maybe the plants died when it was raining for a few days and there was no sunlight.

Maybe some classes didn't plant their beans the correct depth (we found out later that they planted theirs the same as ours)

Maybe they planted theirs later (we found out later that they planted theirs the same as ours)

Maybe they watered theirs more (we found out later that they watered theirs the same as ours)

Reasons why we think the differences occurred

1. Sunlight - less or more

2. Soil - different kinds were used

3. Beans - different kinds were used