This project was created by teachers in the 1997 Museums in the Classroom Summer Workshop at the Chicago Academy of Sciences. The lesson is all about those lovely, roundish, orange fruits--pumpkins. Included in this project are hands-on activities, links to other web sites on pumpkins, extension ideas, and a discussion of the standards met by this project.

Words to Know about Pumpkins!

For this activity you will need to print out Worksheet #1 and Worksheet #2 .

1. Pass out worksheets.
   
2. Read aloud to the students the definitions on Worksheet #1
   
3. Have the students find the word they think fits in the blank and write it in.
   
4. Have the students color the picture on Worksheet #2 using the color designated in their answer.
   

A Complete Hands-on Activity to Bring Pumpkins into Your Classroom!

Connections:

Science is not an isolated subject. Often in this lesson we will make connections to other areas of study including language arts, math, etc. To assist you in locating where such connections occur, you may see the following symbols spaced throughout the text. These symbols represent the following:

A math connection
A language arts connection
A family connection
A social sciences connection
A physical development and health connection
A fine arts connection

Objectives:

The students will:

1. Identify the 5 stages in the life cycle of a pumpkin (jack-o-lantern)
   
2. Create a model showing the correct order of pumpkin life stages
   
3. Explain a pumpkin's life cycle to a partner, using their model
   

30-40 Minutes

Materials:

• 2 small paper plates per student (sprayed or colored orange)
  
• green string (about 1 yard or so) per student
  
• scraps of yellow and green construction paper (enough for class)
  
• Life cycle patterns sheet (1 per student)
  
• stapler
  
• tape
  
• crayons
  
• markers
  
• glue
  
• scissors
  

Advanced Preparation and Teacher Notes

• spray or color paper plates orange
  
• Print and copy Worksheets #1 and 2 (1 per student)
  
• Print and copy life cycle patterns (1 per student)
  

Tap Prior Knowledge
1. Ask your students what they know about plants, particularly how they grow. How do they start growing? What happens to the seeds? Then what happens? How do fruits develop? Follow the plant through its life cycle.

   Engage Students in Hands-on Activity

   

2. Have the students decorate one back of a paper plate to resemble a jack-o-lantern

3. Then students attach a stem or curly vine to the top made of green or brown construction paper.

4. The students then glue or tape one end of their green string or yarn to the middle of the inside of 1 plate

5. The students will then glue and or staple the bottom halves of the two plates together (orange sides out). Leave the top open, like a pocket, and be sure the green string comes out the opening.

6. Let the students color the seed, plants, and pumpkins appropriately. Then cut the shapes out and fold them in half.
   
7. Explain that the students now will lay out the life cycle along in the proper order on their desk: seed, plants, flower, etc. If they are having trouble, guide them to the correct order of seed, plant, flower, green pumpkin, orange pumpkin. Once the pieces are in order, explain to the students that the jack-o-lantern (the 2 plates) represents the last phase of the life cycle. They should then place their pieces, in order on the string so that the orange pumpkin is closest to the paper plates, and the seed is farthest from the plates at the end of the string.

8. Finish the life-cycle by cutting off the excess string and tying a large knot in the string at the seed end. Then place the pieces gently into the pocket, leaving the knot hanging out.

9. Have the students then test their models by pulling on the string. As each piece comes out, they are showing the life cycle of the pumpkin.

   Introduce the Scientific Principle/Concept

10. Life-cycles are found throughout nature, even in humans. Plants and animals go through stages from "birth" as a seed or young animal to growing up to an adult, to finally dying. However, before they die plants and animals reproduce and the process begins again. Understanding this cycle in plants, lets us grow fruits and vegetables for our food, grow flowers for gardens, and protect habitat for animals. Understanding this cycle in animals helps scientists find ways to protect endangered species, or provide meat for food. In humans, understanding the life cycle help us find ways to live longer and protect people as they grow up. With younger grades, you may want to limit discussion to the fact that many things go through stages as they "grow up." Discuss the idea of a cycle where things go around and around.
    Relate Activity and Concept

11. Discuss with your students what makes their pumpkin model a cycle? How could they change the model to make it correctly show a true cycle? Could we start at a different stage?

12. Bring your classroom to another room and have each student pair off and explain the life-cycle of a pumpkin to a student from the other classroom.

    Home Activity/Parent Involvement

13. Have the students go home and work with their parents to illustrate another cycle in the environment.

    Lesson Assessment

14. Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to correctly assemble and explain the life-cycle of a pumpkin using their model.

    Additional Activities

    Ideas from the Commonwealth Network - Fall
    http://www.commonwealthnetwork.com/

    Halloween Candy Holder

    This is a great craft that the children can use to go trick or treating with, or you can use it as a decoration, and more.

    Take a large can (coffee can, spaghetti sauce can..) and wash thoroughly, making sure to remove all outside paper and stickiness. Paint the can with one coat of white paint and let dry. Then paint the can with a coat of orange paint - let dry. Then either with black paint, or a black marker draw the face of a jack-o-lantern on the can. Punch two holes into the top edges of the can on opposite sides. (Use a hammer and nail) Tie string or twine to make a handle. Now you have a great holiday decoration that you can actually use. Optional: You can use smaller cans, fill them with candy & stuff and use them as party favors at a Halloween party.

    What's Inside A Pumpkin?

    Cut out a brown pumpkin stem, a green leaf, and two identical orange pumpkins. Label the first pumpkin, "what's inside a pumpkin?". Have the child glue small pieces of yellow/orange yarn, and pumpkin seeds to the other pumpkin. Assemble the pumpkin and place a brad at the top to hold it all together. Now they can flip and see..."What's Inside a Pumpkin"

    October Time

    October time is pumpkin time,
    The nicest time of the year.
    When all the pumpkins light their eyes
    

    (encircle eyes)

    And grin from ear to ear.
    

    (big grin)

    Because they know at Halloween
    They'll have lots of fun,
    Peeking through the windowpanes
    

    (put hands over eyes and look)

    Watching children run!
    

    Mr. Pumpkin's Nose

    Cut a large pumpkin shape out of orange bulletin board paper. Draw only the eyes and mouth on the pumpkin, you can add a stem and lines if needed. Laminate the piece. Attach it to the wall at the child's level. Give each child a triangle cut out of black construction paper, and label with the child's name. Attach a piece of rolled up tape to the back. Have each child close his/her eyes and place the nose on the pumpkin. You can give awards such as stickers for the one who was the closest, making sure each child gets a sticker. Optional: You can also make a body and laminate and attach it to the head, making sure that it can be at the child's level.

    Pumpkin Toss

    This can be a fun game when you are lacking in activities. Take a few pumpkins, varying in size, and line them up. Give the some sort of ring that will fit over each pumpkin; such as a hula hoop. If you are using very small pumpkins, you can use an embroidery hoop, or the metal rings you can find in varying sizes at the craft store. Then mark the line where they are to stand, and have the child try to toss the hoop over the pumpkins. It doesn't matter if they get it or not, you can reward them with small prizes or stickers.

    Mr. Pumpkin Head

    Place a pumpkin on a table, surrounded by washable markers, a damp sponge, and accessories such as hats, eyeglasses, sunglasses, scarves, wigs, etc. Have the children draw faces and dress up Mr. Pumpkin Head, and have them use the damp sponge to erase their work after it's done.

    Pumpkin Exploration

    Have a large pumpkin put in a large bowl or pan. Cut off the top, and enough area to allow arms and hands to reach in. Have the child reach in and feel all the different textures, let them pull out the seeds and feel the pulp. Discuss the different senses that they are experiencing. Wash hand and go to a table. Give the child a large piece of paper with a pumpkin drawn on one side. Have them draw in the things that they saw, and have them color the pumpkin. On the other side of the paper draw lines across. Have the child describe what they sensed. "It was squishy.", "The seeds were hard.", "It smelled funny", and so on.... (If the child has trouble describing, you can help by asking questions such as: "How did it smell?", "What did the inside feel like?", "What were the seeds like?"

Books for Students and Teachers, Internet Connections, and More!

Books for Students

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, by James Tetherington

Books for Teachers

In the Three Sisters Garden, by JoAnne Dennee. ISBN # 0-7872-2175-9

Keepers of Life, by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. ISBN # 1-55591-186-2

Internet Connections

Atlantic Giant Pumpkins
- Web Page describing the growth of the largest pumpkin ever. It has plenty of additional links.
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html

Holland' Land O'Giants provides an excellent video on his growing techniques. The 1995 video emphasis on: Seed selection , Pots and potting soil, Planting the seed, Early season plant care and protection, Mounding soil over the vine to create a double root system, Pollinating the blossoms, Shade protection to prevent, cracks, Sorry no data on Mobile Crane services to move them.

May be teacher orientated only. This video is a great learning tool to educate any grower in the requirements of growing a prize winning pumpkin. You can purchase a video by writing to:

The Land O'Giants have many other products for sale. Send them a letter and see all the books, videos and giant vegetable seeds they offer. The videos are well worth it. Pumpkin seeds are provided free with a purchase of a product.

Holland's Land O'Giants
9422 144TH ST. E
Puyallup, WA 98373

Annual Pumpkin Drop
http://www.cemr.wvu.edu/student-act/pdrop/pdrop.html
The College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Annual Pumpkin Drop is sponsored by the West Virginia University Student Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). It is held each October usually on a Friday and starting at noon at the Engineering Sciences Building, Evansdale Campus.

Good activity idea and bump for upper grades.

Early Childhood Arts and Crafts
http://www.earlychildhood.com/art.html
has MANY ideas including
http://www.earlychildhood.com/arts-crafts/pumpkin.html

Animation
http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/pumpkin.html
Animation of 4 pumpkins.
Check the web page http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/zebra2.html for more animations and how to order.

Clip Art
http://aztec.lib.utk.edu/~michie/hallpix.html
Clip Art - Black and white - mediocre

Halloween for Kids
http://aztec.lib.utk.edu/~michie/hallkids.html
- not policed. Not good connections. Could be out of season.

Activity Page Ideas
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6459/think.html

the actual pumpkin work page http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6459/actpag6.html

Pediatricians Alert Parents to Halloween...
As children live their fantasies this Halloween, parents should make safety a reality with these tips from the Physicians at Temple Pediatric Care, the pediatric primary care practice for Temple University Health System. , Elmyra Jeffries Nursing Home, Philadelphia Geriatrics Center and Temple University Children's Hospital (scheduled to open December of 1997), Temple Pediatric.
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/news2/halloween.html

Virtual Jack-O-Lantern
Triangle Round Big & Round Big round hole with small solid eye. Triangle Round Big & Round Big round hole with small solid eye.
http://www.chaco.com/~glenn/jack/

Virtual Pumpkin patch
- could be a little scary for the younger students. Needs sound
http://www.chaco.com/~tepring/patch/

Washington-Wilkes Primary School
Welcome to Washington-Wilkes Primary School Washington, Georgia U.S.A. OUTDOOR CLASSROOM The Washington-Wilkes Primary School Outdoor Classroom Project has given children in this school a hands-on experience in planning, preparing, planting and caring for our garden. Included in this garden are annuals of all kinds, perennials, a butterfly garden, an herb garden, a sundial, bird bath, bird.
http://www.america.net/~wwps/garden.htm

BRIT Education Program
A delightful tale about a pumpkin who meets his family in the Weatherford market and discovers his true worth. Second in the Relationships series, this manual for grades 1 - 4 helps teachers develop fun lessons around this diverse group of plants.
http://www.brit.org/edu/

NC Computer Skills Curriculum
B. On a work mat that has a line drawn to indicate the line of symmetry, ask student to build with pattern blocks or Cuisenaire rods a symmetrical design. E. Have students fold a 4 x 5 piece of paper in half and punch one hole, then open it up and glue on a colored piece of paper.
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/Curriculum/Mathematics/Mth.LssnPlns/Mth.2.2.2

Holiday Schedule
Halloween seems to have its earliest origins in the ancient Celtic celebration of the new year, called Samhain, when animal sacrifices would be made to Saman, the sun god, on November 1. In the eighth century, the medieval Christian faith also chose November 1 as a feast day to honor departed Christian saints, which today is known as "All Hallows Day" or "All Saints Day."
http://www.buildacard.com/holidays/hallween.htm

Using Pumpkins to Meet State Goals and Standards (Activity Ideas)

1. Life cycle of a pumpkin--hands on activity presented in lesson.
Science State Goal 13: Understand connections and ralationships among science, technology and society. (13.C.1a)
2. Plant pumpkins under different circumstances-- light, no light, controlled water, too much water, too little water. Graph results. (math)
Science State Goal 11: Understand and apply the methods of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, solve problems, and analyze claims.
Math State Goal 8: Identify and describe patterns and relationsips in actual data, as well as solve problems and predict results using algebraic methods and symbols, tables, graphs, calculators and computers.
3. Health benefits of pumpkin--use web for research
Science State Goal 13: Understand connections and ralationships among science, technology and society.
4. Fruit or vegatable?--different definitions of fruits and vegetables
Science State Goal 13: Understand connections and ralationships among science, technology and society.
5. Recipes--find unusual recipes other than pumpkin pie and roasting pumpkin seeds (could be parent involvement)
Science State Goal 13: Understand connections and ralationships among science, technology and society.
6. Taste test- taste raw pumpkin, cooked pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, any other recipe they found
Science State Goal 13: Understand connections and ralationships among science, technology and society.

1. Using two pumpkins of similar size (one pie pumpkin and one carving pumpkin)--estimate weight, number of seeds, depth of meat, girth
Math State Goal 7--Make, use and estimate measurements of objects, amounts and relationships and determine tolerable levels of error.
2. Using the same large pumpkins remove seeds, count and compare. Can then use seeds for grouping by fives, tens, etc.
Math State Goal 6--Demonstrate a knowledge and sense of numbers and their representations, including basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplation, division), ratios and proportions, by using multiple ways of obtaining exact values and estimates to understand patterns involving numbers and their applications.
3. Using small pumpkin (one for each child)-- predict, compare and graph size, color, weight, girth
Math State Goal 10--Collect, organize and analyze data using statistical and tables, charts, graphs, calculators and computers to represent processes, to predict results and to interpret uncertainty and chance in practical applications.

1. History--find out the origination of pumpkins. Pose question-- Were pumpkins in the new world or did the settlers bring the seed?
Social Science State Goal 16--Understand and analyze events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.
2. Geography--use small pumpkins locate equator, hemispheres, locate certain latitude, longitudes to creat jack-o'lantern
Social Science State Goal 17--Demonstarte a knowledge of workld geography, as well as an understanding of the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States.

1. Vocabulary--The Pumpkin Patch Word Match
English Language Arts State Goal 1--Read with understanding and fluency. (1.A.1a)
2. Poems--include poems about pumpkins and jack o'lanterns. Do on chart paper for younger children. Illustrate individual copies.
English Language Arts State Goal 1--Read with understanding and fluency.
3 Write poems--Haiku, acrostics, etc.
lower grades do as class poems
higher grades do individual
English Language Arts State Goal 3--Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
4. Any myths or fairy tales about pumpkins
English Language Arts State Goal 1--Read with understanding and fluency. (1.A.1a)
English Language Arts State Goal 4--Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.
5. Read books about pumpkins, see web page for list of literature appropriate for grade levels.
English Language Arts State Goal 1--Read with understanding and fluency.
6. Write books about pumpkins
a. class book on take off on Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Write as class and each child illustrate one page or each child write page and teacher type and correct on computer. Child illustrates. Finished book is then taken home by each child and read with family.
b. Pre-run book that says I made a ________ face. Run a number of copies for each child. Child writes an adjective and then illustrates.
English Language Arts State Goal 3--Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.