Grade:
Appropriate for kindergarten through second grades.
Subjects: Language, Art
Objectives
Students
will be able to:
- Build
vocabulary by describing a pumpkin
- Summarize
their findings in a book
- Present
book to class
Materials/Preparation
- Pumpkin
with a lid pre-cut
- Cover
of book - orange construction paper cut in the shape of a
pumpkin, (or with pumpkin outline so that students may cut
out) - 1 for each student
- Inside
of book - 1 sheet of white paper in pumpkin shape for each
student
- Orange
yarn
- Pumpkin
seeds (helps to have some clean dry seeds from another pumpkin)
- Make
a chart that says "Inside of a Pumpkin" and "Outside
of a Pumpkin" to organize their descriptions.
Do
Pumpkins
are fun! Their size and color, smell and taste make them perfect
for children's observation and exploration.
- Encourage children to use their senses to describe the
outside of the pumpkin and record their responses on the
chart. What does it feel like, smell like, look like, sound
like, etc.?
- Then, remove the pumpkin's lid and have the children
observe & describe the inside of the pumpkin.
- Give them the materials to make a pumpkin book. It only
needs to have a cover and 1 page.
- Have the children record the description of the outside
of the pumpkin on the cover.
- Have them record description for the inside of the pumpkin
on the inside cover.
- On the white inside page, they may paste pumpkin seeds
and yarn, and illustrate the inside of the pumpkin using
crayons, construction paper, markers, etc.
Reflection
and Application
Have
the students share their books with friends or the class.
Ask the students to compare and contrast the stories. Tour
a local pumpkin patch. Ask the students to make generalizations
about the pumpkin in their story compared to the pumpkins
at the farm.
Pumpkin
Supplemental Materials
The
Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
The
Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King
Sources
Illinois Extension, A
to Z Teacher Stuff and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
