Project Pumpkin

Project Pumpkin - extension activities

 

Project Home

Activity

Registration

Extension Activities

Printables

Standards

Showcase

 

 

This indicates resources located on The Teacher's Corner.

The activities, lessons and resources below are meant to extend student learning during this project. Please note that several of the activities may overlap subject areas.

LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

SOCIAL STUDIES

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

THE ARTS

BULLETIN BOARDS

ADDITIONAL

 

LANGUAGE ARTS
Students write stories and use the pumpkin shaped books to publish them.  You may want to pick a specific theme or topic for students to write about.  (See display suggestion in the Bulletin Board section below.)

Pumpkin Activity Page (B&W)

 

Students create their own pumpkin.  (See the Paper mache Pumpkins activity in The Arts section below.)  Display the pumpkins in a “Classroom Pumpkin Patch” and assign a number to each pumpkin.  Students then write a descriptive paragraph about their own pumpkin.  From here you have a couple of choices:  you can read each paragraph aloud and have the students guess which pumpkin is being described, or you can have students swap paragraphs.

Students can create a journal of their pumpkin seeds. (See growing activity in the Science section below.)

Students write step-by-step directions on how to carve a pumpkin.

Students can create a story about the “Day in the Life of a Pumpkin.” Here are two lined journal pages you can use with students.

Basic pumpkin - Lined Journal Page (Color)

 

Group of jack-o-lanterns - Lined Journal Page (Color)

Have students write pumpkin poems.  (These could be displayed on a bulletin board.)

Students can write captions for the photos you take during the project.

Students create a pumpkin postcard. Depending on the age of your students you can have them create their postcards from a variety of point of views. There are several different options you can use to create the postcards:
1. Use an index card.
2. Visit Postcard Creator – allows you to create postcard and then print to add picture.
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/postcard/
3. Send an E-Postcard form PBS for Kids (doesn’t allow for as much personalization.)
https://pbskids.org/rogers/postcards.html

Students write an adventure story.  The story may have to do with a pumpkin or some other fall-related or Halloween-related character.  Consider having students publish their work at KidPub. http://www.kidpub.com/

Students use a shape book for writing about fall – shapes related to the activity:  apple and barn.  http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/hme/k_5/shapebook/toc.html

Graphic Organizers – Use in a variety of ways before, during, or after reading.
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

Creative Writing Halloween Theme - Students create their own pumpkin story.
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp103.shtml

My Pumpkin Story - Students use an online tool to "carve" a pumpkin. Then they write a story about their pumpkin.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp103.shtml

Storyboard of "The Biggest Pumpkin Ever" - Students read the story and work on comprehension skills.
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Story_Telling/STT0003.html

Build your classroom library during this project. Here are some suggested titles that you may want to check out.

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll

Five Little Pumpkins (Harper Growing Tree) Harper Growing Tree

From Seed to Pumpkin (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1) (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills

Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

The Pumpkin Patch Parable: Special Edition (Parable Series) by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin with CD by Joe Troiano

Pumpkins by Ken Robbins

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Peanuts) by Charles M. Schulz

Biscuit Visits the Pumpkin Patch by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons) by Jill Esbaum

Great Pumpkins: Crafty Carvings for Halloween by Peter Cole

REMEMBER: You may also want to visit our Printable Worksheet page and create your own puzzles.
[TOP]

 

MATH
Once your students have collected the data for the three pumpkins, have them find the average for each category.

Have students count the lines on each of the three pumpkins.  After recording these numbers, students can also find the average number of lines per pumpkin.

Challenge:  Students take the total circumference of all three pumpkins together to calculate how many pumpkins they would need to travel around the Earth.

To help students practice their measuring skills, they can measure the distance between lines on the pumpkin.

While looking at your data, discuss odd/even numbers, along with divisibility rules, factors, etc.

Create a graph of the pumpkin data collected.  (See the activity suggestions in the Technology section below.)

Students can practice their geometry skills.  After students have completed their cleaning and counting, have them make suggestions of specific geometric shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth.  You, or the students, can then draw those shapes on the pumpkin. 

Students create a Venn Diagram comparing two, or all three, of the pumpkins.

Have students convert measurements between the standard system and the metric system.

Provide students with a variety of objects that they can use to practice finding the circumference.

BIG Pumpkins! - Read a chart and solve word problems about big pumpkins.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp323-03.shtml

Pumpkin Puzzler - Students put their math thinking in writing with this pumpkin puzzler.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp323-05.shtml

Jack-o-Lantern Glyph - The glyph can be simply colored on the handout, using the legend, or students may cut construction paper shapes to create jack-o-lanterns. (PDF)
http://www.mathwire.com/glyphs/jolglyph.pdf

Pumpkin Math - Each of these activities capitalize on students' love of pumpkins.
http://www.mathwire.com/themes/themepumpkin.html

Pumpkin Glyphs - it uses pictures to tell a story about the data collected. This is a fun way for elementary students to compare information about themselves and their classmates.
http://mrsschulmansspace.wikispaces.com/Pumpkin+Glyphs

Positive/Negative Math - This is a great way to teach  symmetry and positive/ negative at the same time!
http://www.kinderteacher.com/OctoberMathIdeas.htm
[TOP]

 

SOCIAL STUDIES
Students create a timeline of a pumpkin’s life cycle.  (Software notes below.)

Using reference books, the Internet, and/or magazines, students can learn about the history and/or the uses of pumpkins.

Pumpkin Globe - Help students identify longitude and latitude on maps and globes to create a globe using a pumpkin.
http://fga.freac.fsu.edu/resources/1994/pumpkin.htm
[TOP]

SCIENCE
Students can grow pumpkin seeds.  They can journal and sketch the growing process of the seeds and plants.
(Here is a link to a site with growing tips: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pumpkin/pumpkin-growing.htm)

Students research the life cycle of a pumpkin. 

Pumpkin Science - This lesson gives English language learners a background in how plants grow. It also provides them with practice in estimating and in predicting outcomes.
http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/pumpkinscience2.php

Leftover Pumpkin Experiments - Use this experiment to see how a pumpkin rots.
https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/halloween-science-pumpkin-decomposition/

Pumpkin Science - A lesson for parts of a seed and a plant book.
http://www.kinderteacher.com/PumpkinScience.htm
[TOP]

 

TECHNOLOGY
Use software like Excel or Graph Club to have students create various types of graphs to show the pumpkin data they collected.  If you don’t have either of these software titles, you can use this free online resource: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

Students use Timeliner software to create a timeline of a pumpkin’s life cycle.

The Great Pumpkin Detectives - A WebQuest for Kindergarten to 2nd grade students.
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=153952

Here are a few different online carving sites.
33 Pumnpkin Carving Ideas - https://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/halloween-pumpkins
Virtual Carving - http://www.cyberhaunt.com/site/fun/attractions/pumpkin.html
(You may want to see the “My Pumpkin Story” in the writing section above.)

Pumpkin Multiples - You know your multiplication facts and you've been step counting for years. This game tests that knowledge by challenging you to choose multiples from a series of falling numbers. Use the arrow keys to move the ghost left and right.
http://www.mathplayground.com/multiples.html

Students complete a Wacky Web Tale online (like a MadLib) that is related to fall and Halloween:
The Best Town in the World Has a Fall Festival: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_056.html
A Detective for Halloween: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_050.html
The Haunted Tower: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_035.html
Why I Love Fall: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt_049.html
Main Wacky Web Tales page: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/
[TOP]

 

THE ARTS
Paper mache Pumpkins - Students paper mache a balloon to create their own pumpkin.  Ask for students to brainstorm how they can create a stem at the top of the balloon.  Once the pumpkin is dry, students can use orange, green and black paint to decorate their pumpkin.  You can create a class pumpkin patch.  (See the writing extension activity above.) We would love to see photos of your patch!

Hang a Jack-O'-Lantern Mobile - Create unique pumpkin mobiles to hang from the ceiling.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp323-04.shtml

Pumpkin Crafts - Basic and fun crafts that are pumpkin-themed.
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/mini_theme/pumpkins.htm

Pumpkin Seed Mosaic - An artistic way to use the pumpkin seeds you have counted.
http://www.kinderart.com/sculpture/pumpkin.shtml

Pumpkin Sewing Card - Cute sewing card for little hands. Print on tagboard and laminate for longer use. (PDF)
http://www.abcteach.com/free/p/pumpkin_sewingcard.pdf

Silly Pumpkins:  Just for Fun (Or Fund-Raising) - Have fun -- and raise funds -- with pumpkins. Get decorating ideas too!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp323-01.shtml
[TOP]

 

BULLETIN BOARDS
Create a bulletin board to display your pumpkin stats – you can even tape up the strings from the measuring.

Students post the pumpkin shaped books/stories from the language arts section on a bulletin board.  Use other cutouts and paper to decorate the board to create a pumpkin patch look.  One great way to do this is to take long sheets of green butcher paper and twist it to create vines. (Use any of the pumpkin printables we have provided or ones available on the Halloween Printables page.)

Post completed glyphs from the math section on a bulletin board.

Take photos of your students and print them out. Use the pumpkin shapes below, cutting out the mouth region and mounting your students' photos from the back side of the pumpkin. (It will appear that they are in the pumpkin.)

Jack-o-lantern Coloring Page - (B&W)

 

Jack-o-lantern Activity Page (B&W)

[TOP]

 

ADDITIONAL LINKS & RESOURCES

Here are some printables that you may find helpful in your classroom during this project. You can find additional printables (many are more fall or Halloween related) on the Halloween Printables page.

Basic pumpkins activity page (Color)

 

Pumpkin Coloring Page (B&W)

 

Jack-o-lantern Coloring Page (B&W)

Here are a few recipes that you may want to use for the pumpkin seeds after you get done counting them.
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--1938/roasted-pumpkin-seeds.asp
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blv14.htm

Pumpkins at Enchanted Learning - An incredible collection of activities and resources.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/pumpkin.shtml

Pump Up the Curriculum With Pumpkins - Jump into pumpkin facts and pumpkin lore. Try pumpkin science, pumpkin math, pumpkin writing.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson028.shtml

Kindergarten Kapers Pumpkin Unit - A fun Kindergarten unit that includes songs, recipes and activities.
http://cbauder.tripod.com/newpage21.htm

Pumpkin Unit - A great collection of lessons geared toward 2nd grade.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/pumpkins-primary-classroom-curricular-unit/

Pumpkins and More! - Learn the history of pumpkins, how they grow, fun, and more.
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/

[TOP]

Contact us: