In their STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) classes at Mars Area Elementary School, third-graders are experimenting with seed germination, as they plant and monitor the development of tomato plants, grown from seeds that orbited the Earth aboard the International Space Station.

Through the Tomatosphere program, the school received two Heinz tomato seed packets, one of which spent time in space and the other only on Earth. The school will not find out which packet is which until the end of the blind experiment.

Earlier this month, third-graders planted the seeds and are endeavoring to determine if exposure to space conditions has an effect on the number of seeds that germinate. The project is a continuation of the students’ science lessons on plant growth and development.

At the end of the experiment, the students will count the number of plants that sprouted and report their findings to the First the Seed Foundation, which will confirm which seed went to space.

Students will also have an opportunity to take the seedlings home to continue caring for the tomato plants over the summer. And, students will be able to upload pictures and share their plant’s progress via a secure website.

For details, visit www.firsttheseedfoundation.org.