Tools and Data
Tool
Microsoft Excel: A spreadsheet application is needed to analyze the data. Microsoft Excel is used in this chapter and is available as part of Microsoft Office.
Tool Builder
Microsoft Corporation - www.microsoft.com
Tool Cost
Excel is part of the suite of Microsoft Office software. Students and educators may be able to purchase this software at a reduced cost. Open office software is also available and is compatible with these files.
Data Set 1
PowerPoint file of the figures and finished graphs required for each aspect of climate. These are pre completed and ready for students to interpret. The data are regionalized or in the form of a color coded map of New York State.
Data Source
North East Climate Data www.northeastclimatedata.org
Data Set 2
Excel spreadsheet created for this project from information from North East Climate Data of total precipitation for each month within the three popular apple growing regions. The precipitation totals provided are averaged over the regions for each month and also summed over the growing season. These data can be provided to students so they can create graphs and charts to interpret.
Data Source
North East Climate Data www.northeastclimatedata.org
Data Set 3
Excel spreadsheet of the regionalized, average monthly minimum temperatures for the apple producing regions. A correlation between the average monthly minimum temperatures and the time of the year when the last frost occurs was made. These data are also provided in the excel spreadsheet for students to create graphs of and/or interpret.
Data Source
North East Climate Data www.northeastclimatedata.org
Data Set 4
This data set is a MS Excel document with two individual worksheets. The worksheet labeled ‘number of farms’ has data on the number of apple farms, trees and acres in New York State. This data set is organized by the number of farms, trees and acres of apple trees in each year as well as county and the state as a whole. The second excel worksheet is labeled ‘yearly apple production.’ This workbook provides the amount of apples produced in each year from 1999 to 2008. The apple production is broken down into millions of pounds of each apple variety.
Data Source
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_York/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/2009/09-bulletin.htm
Additional Resource 1:
Apple Fact sheet
This word document is a collective work of the important data about Apples and New York that students will need to successfully complete this unit.
Data Sources:
New York State Apple Growers Association
www.nyapplecountry.com/fastfacts
www.agmkt.state.ny.us/agfacts.html
Additional Resource 2:
Student_worksheet.docx This word document is a guide for students to help walk them through the thought process and synthesis of collecting the important information required and then choosing appropriate apple varieties for their 2050 orchard.
Resources
Materials for Activities:
Student Worksheet and Instructions
Historical_Last_Frost_Data.xls
Lecture Support Materials:
Northeast Climate Data_Tutorial
Links to External Resources:
New York State Apple Growers Association
