Pumpkin Math Investigation

Alissa Velazquez
60 minutes

1. Topic: Adding Doubles up to 20

Grade Level: 1st
2. Essential Question(s):
a) Are students able to successfully able to count up to 50 seeds?
b) Are students able to add doubles up to 20?
c) Are students able to measure the pumpkin successfully?
3. Standards:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.2
Solve word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or
equal to 20, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown
number to represent the problem.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.B.3
Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract. 2 Examples: If 8 + 3 = 11 is
known, then 3 + 8 = 11 is also known. (Commutative property of addition.) To add 2 + 6 + 4, the
second two numbers can be added to make a ten, so 2 + 6 + 4 = 2 + 10 = 12. (Associative property
of addition.)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.2
Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of
a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an
object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to
contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps
or overlaps.

4. Learning Objectives and Assessments

Objectives

Assessments

SWBAT to successfully add doubles up to

20.

Students will demonstrate adding doubles

up to 20 by finishing the worksheet using
pumpkin seeds as counters.

SWBAT measure and record data correctly.

Students will demonstrate this skill by

correctly filling out the worksheets with
measurements and data.

5. Materials:

4 pumpkins
4 sets of pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin Math booklets
Perfect Pumpkins By: Jeff Bauer (Scholastic 2006)
Cubes
4 Pieces of yarn
Rulers
Poster with class estimates

6. Pre-lesson assignment and/or prior knowledge: Students should be masters in

counting up to 50. Students will also have prior knowledge on pumpkins. In
addition, they will be some-what familiar with adding doubles.
7. Lesson Beginning: Students will sing the Doubles Rap they learned the day
prior. This will get students thinking about what they learned yesterday and what
they will be applying today. The teacher will explain to them that they are going
to use their math expertise using a pumpkin today. The teacher will then ask
them what are some observations they make about a pumpkin.
8. Instructional Plan:
The teacher will then take out the anchor chart that explains the
pumpkin investigation. The teacher will explain that the students will
be counting pumpkin seeds, counting the lines on their pumpkin,
measuring how tall the pumpkin is using cubes, and lastly the
circumference of the pumpkin using a string and a ruler.
The teacher will then ask the students if they know what
circumference means. The definition will be told to the students to
clarify what they will be measuring at their tables.
The teacher will then explain that the class is going to make estimates
or educated guesses for each category. Before letting the students
discuss estimates, the teacher will ask the class what it means to
estimate.
For each of the four categories, students will talk to their predetermined buddies. (Example: Students will talk about how tall they
think the pumpkin is). Students will report their estimates. The teacher
will record their estimates under each category.
Students will be released to their desks where the materials will be
already set up. Students will be instructed not to touch anything and to
only put their name at the top of their worksheets. (There are 4 tables
and each table will work as a team).
The students will be guided through each category. The students will
first be instructed to fill in their estimate for the number of seeds. The

table will then count their seeds and record their data.
They will follow the same-guided steps for the following three
investigation sections.
Students will be told to look at their data. The teacher will ask if
anyone had a close estimate to the actual number. Students will the
report out their different data.
The students will then practice adding doubles using the pumpkin
seeds as manipulatives.
Students who struggle with math will be pulled to the back table for
guided instruction. For students who finish early they will hand in their
packet and be provided a desk job to complete before going to the
math centers.
When students are finished completing the doubles worksheet, the
teacher will call the students over to the carpet to read the Perfect
Pumpkin.

***Differentiation:
I.
Pre-determined buddies
II.
Working as table
III.
Small group instruction for struggling learners
9. Questions:
Lesson Beginning:
a) What do you observe when looking at a pumpkin?
Instructional Plan:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

What does circumference mean?

What does it mean to make an estimate?
How tall do you think the pumpkin is?
How round do you think the pumpkin is?
How many seeds are in your pumpkin?
How many lines are on your pumpkin?
Did anyone have an estimate that was close to the actual number?

Closure:
a) What is one thing that you learned today?
10. Closure:
Students will join the teacher at the carpet. The teacher will read Perfect
Pumpkins. Students will reflect on what they learned today either from the
activity or the book and write one the post-it one thing they learned. Students will
place their names on the post-it and place it on the objective board at the front of

the classroom.