Fonts and alphabets licensed from www.letteringdelights.com
Pumpkins are a great way to teach and reinforce both Language Arts and Science standards. Hands on experiences are some of the best learning a child can do. I found a saying recently that sums up the way that I feel about student learning: One cannot learn by having information pressed into their brains. Knowledge has to be sucked into the brain, not pushed in. First, one must create a state of mind that craves knowledge, interest and wonder. You can teach only by creating an urge to know." I can t think of one student who wouldn t want to learn with pumpkins! Make sure that each student has their own pumpkin. Then write, explore and create with them! Happy teaching and learning! Fill in the Know and Want to Know portion of the chart below.the Learned portion will be filled out later. KNOW WANT TO KNOW LEARN What do I know about pumpkins? What do I want to know about pumpkins? What did I learn about pumpkins?
bumpy smooth vine carve blossoms patch ribs harvested seeds estimate circumference sprout pulp jack o lantern fruit Fill in the sentences with the correct vocabulary word from the box above. 1. I will use a knife to my pumpkin. 2. The are the lines that appear on my pumpkin. 3. The distance around my pumpkin is called the. 4. Inside my pumpkin I will find and. 5. Pumpkins grow on a. Each plant has many that mature into a pumpkin. 6. I will take an educated guess or an before I begin counting the seeds in my pumpkin. 7. My pumpkin can be described as or. 8. Pumpkins grow in a pumpkin. 9. When my pumpkin is mature and ready to be picked it will be. 10. Pumpkins begin to germinate or in the summer. 11. When I finish making a face or design on my pumpkin it is called a. 12. Pumpkins are considered a like an apple.
bumpy smooth vine carve blossoms sprout patch ribs harvested seeds estimate pulp circumference jack o lantern fruit Put these words in alphabetical order! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Next to each statement tell whether it is a fact (something that can be proven) or an opinion (your belief). Write F for fact; O for opinion in the blank next to the number. 1. I think that pumpkins are the best and most colorful fruit. 2. The Pilgrims dried pumpkin shells to use as bowls. 3. The biggest pumpkin ever grown was in New York State in 1996 and weighed about as much as a small car. 4. The best kind of pumpkin in called the Red October. 5. Pumpkins are a member of the squash family and come in many different shapes and sizes. 6. It s fun to watch a farmer plow through the field to get the soil ready for planting pumpkins. 7. A pumpkin seed won t sprout until the soil is warm and water has soaked the seed to soften it s coat. 8. The best place to buy a pumpkin is at a road side stand. 9. Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to plant pumpkins. 10. Pumpkin pie is the best pie in the world! 11. It s great fun to carve pumpkins! 12. Everyone loves eating pumpkin seeds. 13. Few pumpkin flowers actually become pumpkins. 14. Carved pumpkins are called jack-o -lanterns. 15. Pumpkin seeds that are 9,000 years old have been found in caves in Mexico.
Recall the 5 senses. What are they? List them below: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Describe your pumpkin using the 5 senses listed above. Remember to include lots of spicy adjectives! 1. My pumpkin looks like 2. My pumpkin feels like 3. My pumpkin smells like 4. My pumpkin sounds like (thump it!) 5. My pumpkin tastes like (pretend that your pumpkin is made into your favorite treat!)
Using The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons look up, list, and describe 5 different kinds of pumpkins. My List of Pumpkin Types 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Write one sentence about each kind of pumpkin below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
What does it mean to estimate? What do you think your pumpkin weighs in pounds? Estimate the weight! What do you think YOU weigh in pounds? Estimate YOUR weight! Now step on the scale! What is your actual weight? Pick up your pumpkin and weigh yourself holding your pumpkin. What is this weight? Subtract your weight from the weight of you and your pumpkin below. What is the weight of your pumpkin?
What does circumference mean? Measure your pumpkin s circumference with the measuring tape. What is the circumference of your pumpkin? Make a bar graph using the circumference of 5 pumpkins (use your classmates circumferences to do this activity.) Title
Using The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons look up, list, and describe 5 different kinds of pumpkins. My List of Pumpkin Types 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Write one sentence about each kind of pumpkin below. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Draw the life cycle of your pumpkin below. Make sure you label using the following words: seeds, sprout, plant, flower, green pumpkin, orange pumpkin.
What does the word predict mean? Predict whether or not you think your pumpkin will float? Yes my pumpkin will float No my pumpkin will NOT float Do you think that small pumpkins will float? Do you think that big pumpkins will float? Yes, small pumpkins will float. No, small pumpkins will NOT float. Yes, big pumpkins will float. No, big pumpkins will NOT float. Now, float your pumpkin in the water provided. Do pumpkins float? Float pumpkins of different sizes. Do they float? Discuss as a group why pumpkins float or sink. Explain your findings below.
Graph some information about your pumpkin. What can you graph? Below are some ideas! Weight of your pumpkin and other pumpkins Size of all the pumpkins in the room size of pumpkins seeds in the classroom (small, medium, large) stem size of pumpkins number of ribs some pumpkins have your own ideas! Title
Ribs are the vertical lines of a pumpkin. Estimate the number of ribs your pumpkin has and put that number here. Now count the ribs of your pumpkin. How many are there? Does the number of ribs mean a bigger or smaller pumpkin? Count to find out! What did you discover? Draw a picture of your pumpkin with ribs below.
Draw or insert a picture of you and your pumpkin below.
KNOW WANT TO KNOW LEARN What do you KNOW about pumpkins? What do you WANT to know about pumpkins? What did you LEARN about pumpkins?