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How

Does a Pumpkin Grow? Lesson Plan


JMU Elementary Education

A. Its Pumpkin Time! Read Aloud
This lesson involves a Read Aloud of Its Pumpkin Time! by Zoe Hall, followed by a creative art
post-assessment activity.

B. Context of Lesson
Children will begin studying pumpkins and the letter P on Monday, October 17. They will
practice identifying the letter P throughout their daily routine, beginning with large group
time, during which they review letter sounds and usages. They will continue this identification
practice during work time, as the teacher will observe individual children during play, asking
each child about his or her work while prompting use of the letter P. The study of pumpkins
will serve as a continuation of the class study of seasons, specifically autumn/fall. Children will
be aware that pumpkins are a typical plant during the fall season; therefore, this activity will
further their understanding of how a pumpkin grows, the time it takes to grow a pumpkin,
traditional uses of pumpkins during Fall, and common forms of Halloween celebration involving
pumpkins.

C. Learning Objectives
Understand what are the Know what are the facts, Do what are the specific
broad generalizations the rules, specific data the thinking behaviors students
students should begin to students will gain through will be able to do through
develop? this lesson? (These knows this lesson?
must be assessed in your
lesson.)
a. Pumpkins can be grown a. How does the process of a. Stage/step-by-step
using the seeds from growing a pumpkin thinking
their core. appear visually? b. Process/procedural
b. The growth process of b. What are the basic steps thinking
pumpkins allows them to involved in growing a c. Demonstration of
grow and change as the pumpkin? understanding via
seasons change. creative art
c. Upon harvest, pumpkins d. Connection of growth of
are commonly turned pumpkins to common
into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween celebrations
Halloween.

D. Assessing Learning
During the read-aloud of Its Pumpkin Time! by Zoe Hall, students will be prompted to answer
a few basic questions such as:
a. What season do you think it is now?
b. What does a pumpkin need to grow?

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c. Do you think this rain is helping or hurting the pumpkin? (p. 17)

Following the read-aloud, students will each be given an 8 x 11 sheet of white construction
paper. The paper will be pre-folded into fourths, leaving four boxes in which students can
color. The practicum student will explain that we will use the four boxes to show the growing
process of the pumpkin. The four boxes will be designated according to the following diagram:

1 2

The seed of the pumpkin is The plant begins to sprout
planted in soil and watered into green shoots, vines, and
regularly. eventually, small green
pumpkins. Its roots grow
down into the soil.
3 4

The green pumpkins turn to The pumpkins are harvested
yellow and later, to orange. and can be used to create
jack-o-lanterns for
Halloween.

The practicum student will move step-by-step through the four boxes, explaining what can be
drawn in each box. Each child will receive a three-dimensional, actual pumpkin seed for their
first box. The fourth box will be left up to the student, as he or she will show that the pumpkin
is harvested and used for a multitude of purposes. He or she may illustrate a jack-o-lantern for
Halloween, a pumpkin on a doorstep, or a pumpkin at the farmers market, for example.
Crayons will be used for illustrations.

E. Related Foundation Blocks for Early Learning
Virginia Literacy Foundation Block 1 Oral Language
Children gain language and vocabulary skills by having multiple and frequent
opportunities to talk, as well as listen to, adults and peers. These opportunities must
occur frequently throughout the day as children begin to read and write.
a) Listen with increasing attention to spoken language, conversations, and texts
read aloud.
d) Use complete sentences to ask and answer questions about experiences or
about what has been read.
h) Follow simple one- and two-step oral directions.
Virginia Literacy Foundation Block 2 Vocabulary
The more children know about the world around them, the easier it is for them to
express new information, ideas, and vocabulary to communicate this knowledge.
Helping children to relate experiences to new ideas and concepts also assists in the
development of vocabulary and related skills.
a) Use size, shape, color, and spatial words to describe people, places, and things.
Virginia Science Foundation Block 5 Life Processes

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Preschool children understand that they are growing and becoming bigger, and can
begin to see that other animals and plants also grow and become bigger. Babies,
puppies, chicks, calves, etc., fascinate young children. Use this curiosity to teach them
how some young animals and adult animals are alike. Plants, too, start as seedlings and
grow. Both plants and animals need food, water, and air to live. Plants and animals can
make new plants and animals.
a) Describe what living things need to live and grow (food, water, and air).
b) Identify basic structures for plants and animals (plants-roots, stems, leaves;
animals-eyes, mouth, ears, etc.).

F. Materials Needed
Its Pumpkin Time! book by Zoe Hall
Small pumpkin (used to control talking, turn-taking with talking)
Laminated images/stages of pumpkin growth (provided by practicum student)
Small dry-erase board or magnetic board, if available, to post stages of pumpkin growth
for students to view
White construction paper (8 x 11) 1 per student
Pumpkin seeds 1-2 per student
Elmers white liquid glue
Crayons

G. Procedure
Students will gather together, seated on a carpeted area. The practicum student will sit
in a chair or on the carpet facing the students.
The practicum student will ask the students about what they have been studying
recently. If/when a student suggests, pumpkins, the practicum student will ask,
What do we know about pumpkins? The practicum student will provide a small
pumpkin used to monitor turn-taking in orally responding to these questions. This will
gauge where the students are with their understanding of pumpkins.
The practicum student will prepare the students for a read-aloud of Its Pumpkin
Time! by Zoe Hall. This will involve clarifying that we should not be talking or moving
around while the story is being read.
o The practicum student will ask a few questions during the read-aloud (see
Assessing Learning) to ensure that students are following along with the
practicum student.
Upon finishing the book, the practicum student will prompt/ask students if they can
share the steps involved with growing a pumpkin. The small pumpkin will again be used
to monitor turn-taking with talking. The practicum student will use laminated images
and a small dry-erase or magnetic board to display these steps as the students verbalize
them. These review questions will serve as preparation for the post-assessment activity.
Once students have reviewed the stages of pumpkin growth, they will return to their
seats. Each student will receive one pre-folded piece of white construction paper.

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The practicum student will explain, as described in the Assessing Learning section, the
purpose of each box. Students will be guided, box by box, to illustrate the stages of
pumpkin growth.
Each student will receive one three-dimensional pumpkin seed for Box 1, an illustration
of the planting of the pumpkin seed.
Upon completing all four illustrations, students will assist in cleaning up the crayons and
glue.

H. Differentiation
In order to meet the needs of all students in the classroom, I have planned to incorporate
auditory (read-aloud), verbal (questions, responses), and kinesthetic (creative art post-
assessment) elements in this lesson.
For students who have difficulty staying seated for long periods, I plan to improv with a
few gross motor motions. For example, if I notice that a few students are becoming
restless as we are reading about how the pumpkin seeds must be watered, I will have
the group of students stand up and pretend to water the pumpkin seeds. The reading of
the book will then resume.
For students who have difficulty knowing when it is/is not their turn to talk, it is my
hope that the passing of the small pumpkin will help to control this turn-taking concept.
For any students struggling to understand the concept of the process of pumpkin
growth, it is my hope that the laminated stages of pumpkin growth will help these
students. Furthermore, if they are confused during the post-assessment activity, they
can refer to these cards to see what should be drawn on their own paper.

I. Problem Solving & Troubleshooting
Students may become distracted with the small pumpkin.
o The small pumpkin, if it is not functioning as an effective turn-taking tool, can be
taken away from students. This concept will be explained to students to show
that good behavior will enable them to continue passing the small pumpkin.
Students may talk while the book is being read to them.
o I will plan to pause and regroup the students with a short transition song or clap
if they become distracted while reading. I plan to ask any students who are
especially distracted to move closer to me while we are reading.
Students may become confused about the order of the steps of pumpkin growth.
o I hope that the laminated images will assist students with understanding this
process. If not, we can refer back to the book as a class and find the pages
where the characters of the book completed each action involved in growing a
pumpkin.

J. Sources
Virginia Department of Social Services. (2008). Milestones of child development: a guide to
young childrens learning and development from birth to kindergarten. Richmond, VA:
Office of Early Childhood Development Virginia Department of Social Services.

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