 |
Discuss the difference
between pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. |
 |
Pumpkin Fiesta: This book is covered in the second graders' Trophies
reader.
Sara
Tomon created these vocabulary cards for the story.
Vocabulary Cards
*Be sure to check the links at the bottom* |
 |
Use this unit to focus
on the Letter P or the short "u" sound. Provide each student
with an orange construction paper pumpkin outline. Have them
cut it out and then glue things to it that either begin with a "p"
or have the /u/ sound. Once they're finished and the glue has
dried, fold the pumpkin in half with the pictures to the inside to
form a booklet. Program the outside with a title such as "My P
Booklet" and the student's name. |
 |
Pumpkin Sequencing Cards: We use these in the pocketchart.
I have two different sets, one ends
with a jack-o-lantern.
There are similar pictures
that can be used for sequencing here:
http://extension.usu.edu/aitc/resources/pdf/fieldguide2/pumpkin.pdf
|
 |
Pumpkin Pointer: This is the pointer I made from a dowel and a
pencil topper. I buy the dowels at the craft store and my
husband cuts them in half for me. I buy the ones that are
about the same size around as a pencil. Then I top them with a
seasonal/thematic pencil topper or eraser. I use them during
instruction and the students use them to Read the Room.
|
 |
I'm going to add
jack-o-lantern activities to this page as well as regular pumpkin
activities since most pumpkins (well, a lot of them anyway) end up
being jack-o-lanterns. |
 |
Pumpkin Pie Playdough
Although this playdough
smells really good, you'll need to remind your students not to taste
it. :)
Ingredients Needed:
5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups salt
8 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 cup oil
1 container (1 1/12 ounces) pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red)
4 cups water
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat
until all lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface
until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container.
Place the playdough in a
Center with small pie-type tins (tins that pot pies come in work
really well for this) and have your students create their own
pretend pumpkin pies. Make sure you show them how to pinch
around the edges to make their pie crusts! :) |
 |
Another version of
Pumpkin Pie Playdough:
The version above was
posted on the 'net, and I've never used it. I have used a
non-cook type playdough recipe and just added the can of Pumpkin Pie
Spice. I think I'd like this version better, because I'm not
crazy about having to cook something if I don't have to. And
once the time is up that I want to use the playdough, I divide it up
into enough pieces for each student to have one and place it in a
ziplock bag. Then each student gets to take some of the
playdough home with them.
Non-Cook Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
food coloring
I also did not add food
coloring to mine. The Pumpkin Pie Spice gives it a nice
"nutty, spicy" color. |
 |
Pumpkin, pumpkin
Round and fat .
Turns into a jack-o-lantern,
Just like that!
~ Author Unknown |
 |
Pumpkins
Pumpkin large
Pumpkin small
Pumpkin short
Pumpkin tall
Pumpkin yellow
Pumpkin green
All are ready for Halloween!
~ Author Unknown
This would be a good poem
to use for introducing/reinforcing large/small, short/tall, &
yellow/green. You could do that by putting each line of the
poem on a sentence strip and then having a corresponding picture
card to go with it. ( a large pumpkin, a small pumpkin, a
short, pumpkin, a tall pumpkin, a yellow pumpkin, a green pumpkin,
and then lastly a picture with all combined)
You can also extend this
activity by making a second set of matching sentence strips.
After laminating, cut this second set into word cards.
Students match the words to the text in the poem. (If you need
a picture, you can visit the Easter page
and see how I did an Easter poem using this strategy.)
When adding this poem to
their Poetry Journals, you can have that last picture at the bottom
of the page for the students to color and/or have them illustrate
each line of the poem by drawing an appropriate pumpkin at the end
of each line of text. |
 |
Poetry Journals:
Don't forget to add all poems/songs you use to your students'
Poetry Journals. |
 |
Home Project:
Send home a construction paper pumpkin and have students disguise it
so that it won't be used to make a pumpkin pie! :) They would
do this by creating a disguise for it so that it no longer resembled
a pumpkin. If you provide a model for them to look at before
sending theirs home with them, it might help them get some ideas to
start off with.
You could also use this idea with the idea below in place of using
the construction paper pumpkin. |
 |
Paperbag Pumpkin:
Fill a brown lunch sack 3/4 full with shredded newspaper.
Twist the neck of the bag shut and tie off with a green pipecleaner.
Have students paint the bottom part of the sack orange to make the
pumpkin. Have them paint the neck part of the sack green to
form the stem. Have them cut out big leaves from green
construction paper and thread one or two onto the green pipecleaner.
Form the left-over pipecleaner into a "vine". Below is a
pumpkin leaf shape.
These look cute placed
on a flat surface among fall leaves or green "Easter grass".
You'll have your own little pumpkin patch. If desired, as time
gets closer to Halloween, you could pick the pumpkins from the patch
and have students paint on jack-o-lantern faces using black and
yellow paint.
The pumpkin below was
done MANY years ago and doesn't have the leaf/leaves on it.
|
 |
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie II
www.allrecipes.com |
 |
Individual No Bake Pumpkin
Pies
1 foil baking cup liner (cup cake liner)
1 vanilla wafer (for the crust)
Put the vanilla wafer in
the bottom of the foil cup cake liner.
Mix in a small paper cup (kitchen size): 1/4 C. of prepared
vanilla pudding, 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice, and 1 T. canned
pumpkin. Stir and spoon into crust. Top with a spoon of cool
whip and a candy pumpkin. |
 |
Little Jack Pumpkin Face
Little Jack Pumpkin Face
Lived on a vine,
Little Jack Pumpkin Face
Thought it was fine.
First he was small and green,
Then big and yellow,
Little Jack Pumpkin Face
Is a fine fellow.
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Paper Strip Pumpkin:
from Crayola.com
|
 |
Jack-o-lantern Art
Project: Paint a white paperplate orange. Add a green
construction paper stem. Add facial features using black
construction paper or black paint.
If you want to cut out the
first step, provide the students with an orange paperplate. |
 |
Writing Prompts:
__ (insert a number)
Pumpkins Growing in a Patch
Orange Things
A pumpkin is ...
My Jack-o-lantern
If I had a pumpkin I would
...
If I had a pumpkin patch I
would ...
If I had 100 pumpkins I
would ...
With my pumpkin I will
make ...
What's In the Pumpkin
Patch? |
 |
Resource: Teacher's
Helper (K) Oct/Nov 2001
Pumpkin Picking (beginning
sounds b,s,g)
Pumpkin Journal
Perky Pumpkins
(sequencing) |
 |
Resource: Teacher's Helper
(K) Oct/Nov 2000
Pumpkin Patch Math
(sorting by shape)
Pumpkin Patch Math
(sorting by size)
Pumpkin Patch Math
(sorting by attribute)
Pick of the Patch
(counting 1 - 6)
Bring in the Harvest
(sets/more)
From Pumpkin to Pie
(sets/fewer) |
 |
Resource: Teacher's Helper
(1st) Sept/Oct 1993
Pretty Pumpkins (consonant
review)
Garden Markers (beginning
consonants w,c,g)
Planting Pumpkins
(beginning consonants f,r,l)
Super Seeds (beginning
consonants h,d,t)
Pumpkin Patch Party
(stationary) |
 |
Resource: Teacher's Helper
(1st) Sept/Oct 1992
Pumpkin Passion (initial
consonants m,w,p,g,c) |
 |
Resource: Teacher's Helper
(K) Oct/Nov 2002
Pumpkin Convoy (beginning
sounds f,m,t)
Hide and Seek (beginning
sounds b,g,s)
Prizewinners (beginning
sounds c,p,n)
Perfect Pie (beginning
sounds d,h,r)
Awards
Fall Kindergarten News
(stationary)
Pecking at Pumpkins
(beginning sounds j,t,w)
Itchy, Itchy Pumpkin Game
(review beginning sounds)
|
 |
Torn Paper Pumpkin:
This is a good fine motor Center activity. Provide each
student with a pumpkin outline. Have them fill in the pumpkin
shape with bits of torn orange construction paper that has been
glued on. Then have them fill in the stem with green
construction paper.
|
 |
Five
Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins
sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh
my, it's getting late."
The second one said,
"There are witches in the air."
The third one said, "But I
don't care!"
The fourth one said,
"Let's run and run and run."
The fifth one said, "I'm
ready for some fun!"
Woo-ooo! went the wind,
And out went the light.
And the five little
pumpkins rolled out of sight.
~ Author Unknown
This is
the Song/Poetry Card that I created on my computer. It's
printed onto a piece of cardstock. The TA added the 5
pumpkins. Then it was laminated. We use it for group
readings of the poem. I can make do with these small
Song/Poetry Cards because I only teach to small groups at a time.
The
students are provided a similar page, but without the pumpkins.
They add their own pumpkins to the fence, then their page goes in
their Poetry Journal.
|
 |
Flannelboard:
You can also create flannelboard pieces to do with the 5 Little
Pumpkins poem. Provide a fence and 5 pumpkins. The witch
is optional. |
 |
Sponge Painting:
Allow students to sponge paint 5 pumpkins onto a fence on a long
sheet of paper. |
 |
Pumpkin/Halloween Door:
A few years ago, we did a Pumpkin study and this is the door that we
created to go with the unit. The crows have the "5 Little
Pumpkins" poem in their beaks. The cornstalk is made from real
cornhusks from the grocery store. The witch and crows are
backed with small pieces of packing foam to make them stand out from
the black background. (This was in our old building)
|
 |
Life Cycle of a
Pumpkin: Use the pictures from the link below (Life Cycle
printable) to help create this activity. Have students color
and cut out the pictures and words, then sequence them on a strand
of green yarn. Have students paint two paperplates orange.
Staple them together with the painted side facing outwards leaving
an opening at the top. Add a green stem. Have
students stuff their pictures down into the pumpkin opening, leaving
some of the yarn hanging outside the pumpkin as the vine. As
the students start to pull the yarn from the pumpkin, the pictures
should emerge in correct sequential order. As they emerge, the
students should identify the stage of the life cycle of the pumpkin. |
 |
Pumpkin, pumpkin
Big and round.
Pumpkin, pumpkin
On the ground.
With my finger
I will trace,
A smile upon
Your orange face.
~ Author Unknown
Reproduce this poem on a
page for each student. Have them glue an Ellison die-cut poem
to the bottom of the page and add facial features (including a
smile) to the pumpkin's face. When dry, the page goes in their
Poetry Journal. |
 |
Jack-o-lantern
I made a Jack-o-lantern
His smile was big and
wide.
I put him in the window,
So he could look outside.
And people smiled to see
him,
So I learned this from my
Jack,
If you just smile at
people,
People smile right back!
~ Author Unknown |
 |
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin
Eater
Peter, Peter, pumpkin
eater,
Had a wife and couldn't
keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin
shell,
And there he kept her very
well.
This is the Song/Poetry
Card that we created for this rhyme. I printed it onto
cardstock. I cut a sideways "H" in a die-cut pumpkin and glued
it onto the bottom of the page. Then the TA drew Peter's wife
in the "window". I had one particular student that made me
open the window so that she could see his wife EVERY day that we did
this rhyme. If I tried to slip by her without doing it, she
reminded me every time! :)
The children also got the
rhyme printed onto a page and a pumpkin die-cut with the "window"
already cut in it. They glued it to their page then either
drew in a wife, or cut one from a magazine and glued her in the
window. These later went into their Poetry Journals. |
 |
Math Mats: This
is a picture of one of our math mats. I wanted something to
use with the pumpkin candy counters that I'd bought, so I had the TA
make these mats. She enlarged the pumpkin leaf pattern that we
had and then copied it onto green construction paper. Then she
glued two to a page and added the plus sign in between them.
Last they were laminated. Now the students can use either
mini-pumpkin erasers as counters or those yummy little pumpkin
candies. We use
them like this ...for the addition problem 2 + 2, they would put 2
pumpkins on one leaf, then 2 pumpkins on the other leaf, then count
all the pumpkins to find their answer.
|
 |
More Math Mats:
This is another math mat that I made on my computer. I printed
it onto cardstock and laminated it. You could also print them
onto paper and then mount the paper on construction paper before
laminating. It also goes with the pumpkin counters. You
use it to do story problems.
Ex. One morning the farmer
went out and he had 2 pumpkins in his patch.
(Students put 2
pumpkins in the field)
The next week when he went to the patch, he had 3 more.
(Students add 3
more pumpkins to the mat)
How many pumpkins does he have now?
(Students count
the total number of pumpkins on the mat)
Ex. Jeb Scarecrow
doesn't work on Sundays. When he left the pumpkin patch on
Saturday there were 6 pumpkins.
(Students would
put 6 pumpkin counters in the field)
When he came back to work on Monday, there were only 3 pumpkins left
in the patch.
(Students would
remove all but 3 pumpkins)
How many are missing?
(Students count
how many pumpkins they removed so that only 3 were left)
|
 |
Resource: The Best of
Teacher's Helper* Seasonal & Holiday Activities (TEC1478)
Nosey Triangles (shapes)
Silly Squares (shapes)
Pumpkins Grow (booklet)
Rectangle Rascals (shapes)
Spooky Circles (shapes)
All About Pumpkin Seeds
(estimation)
Pick of the Patch
(identifying differences) |
 |
Resource: Teacher's Friend
Publications* Autumn Idea Book
Pumpkin Stories (pumpkin
shape writing paper)
Pumpkin Shape Book pattern |
 |
Resource: Frank Schaffer's
SCHOOLDAYS* Sept/Oct 1987
Calculator Fun |
 |
Resource: Teacher Created
Materials* October Monthly Activities
Name the Number (number
words/addition)
Pumpkin Pattern
October News (stationary)
Make Your Own Faces!
Creative Writing Pattern
(writing paper)
Pumpkin Patch (leaf,
pumpkin, scarecrow patterns)
Pumpkin Patch gameboard |
 |
Mr. Pumpkin
(tune: Frere Jacques)
Mr. Pumpkin, Mr. Pumpkin,
Eyes so round, eyes so
round.
Halloween is coming,
Halloween is coming,
To my town, to my town.
~ Author Unknown |
 |
Pumpkins
We are pumpkins, big and
round,
Big and round, big and
round.
We are pumpkins, big and
round,
Sitting on the ground.
~ Author Unknown |
 |
Two Pumpkin Seeds
One day I found two
pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled
the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a
long green vine.
A pumpkin grew, I called
it mine.
My pumpkin was quite round
and fat.
I really am quite proud of
that.
But there is something
I'll admit,
That has me worried just a
bit you see.
Now will it grow inside of
me?
~ Author Unknown |
 |
Ten Little Pumpkins
(tune: 10 Little Indians)
One little, two little,
three little pumpkins,
Four little, five little,
six little pumpkins,
Seven little, eight
little, nine little pumpkins,
Ten pumpkins in the
pumpkin patch.
~ Author Unknown |
 |
(tune: I'm a Little
Teapot)
I'm a little pumpkin short
and stout;
Here are my eyes and here
is my mouth.
When it's Halloween and
you are out,
Just lift my lid and hear
me shout.
Boo!
~ Author Unknown
I added a clip art picture
to the top of a page and then typed the song below it. The
students colored the picture then added it to their Poetry Journals.
|
 |
Trick-or-Treating
Jack-o-lanterns: Paint two paperplates orange. Use
markers, crayons, paint, or black construction paper to add facial
features to one plate to form a jack-o-lantern. Staple the two
plates together with the paint to the outside, leaving the top side
open. Add a green "stem" handle that loops from the inside of
one paperplate to the other. Staple the handle to the
paperplates so that it will be secure. Students can use this
to trick-or-treat. If it's used to hold very much candy, you
might consider laminating the green handles before attaching them to
the plates. This will make it more durable and less likely to
tear. |
 |
Resource: Scarecrow
Activity Book (Frank Schaffer Publications FS-43503)
Pumpkin Patch (counting 1
- 5)
Harvest Time (maze)
From the Pumpkin Patch
(color by number 16 - 20)
Big and Orange (alphabet
sequence A-Z) |
 |
Pocketchart Math
Activity: Laminate pages of orange construction paper, then
use the Ellison machine to cut out pumpkins and/or jack-o-lanterns.
Place them in the pocketchart along with laminated number cards.
Students count the pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns and match with the
correct number card.
Another version of this
activity would be to place the cards in the pocketchart and have the
students add the correct number of pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns.
You could also use the
pumpkin leaves for this as well. |
 |
Yellow Pumpkin, Yellow
Pumpkin: This is a spin-off book from Brown Bear, Brown
Bear. I believe some of the other K teachers shared it
with me. We use Ellison die-cuts to illustrate it. The
students just have to glue the appropriate die-cut on each page and
add details. I've adapted the version that was shared with me
to fit my own needs.
I noticed a few years back
that the original Brown Bear type format doesn't lend itself well to
allowing students to use picture cues, since the picture that goes
with the text is on the next page. So I started changing the
format so that the text and pictures are on the same page.
This helps those young or early emergent readers by providing the
picture cue and the matching text on the same page, and prevents
them from having to turn the page to see what picture is coming up
next.
Yellow Pumpkin, Yellow
Pumpkin
pg 1: Yellow pumpkin,
yellow pumpkin, what do you see?
(yellow pumpkin die-cut)
pg 2: I see an orange
jack-o-lantern looking at me.
(orange jack-o-lantern
die-cut)
pg 3: Orange
jack-o-lantern, orange jack-o-lantern, what do you see?
(orange jack-o-lantern)
pg 4: I see a black cat
looking at me.
(black cat)
pg 5: Black cat, black
cat, what do you see?
(black cat)
pg 6: I see a white ghost
looking at me.
(white ghost)
pg 7: White ghost, white
ghost, what do you see?
(white ghost)
pg 8: I see lots of
trick-or-treaters looking at me!
Have students illustrate
this page, or add pictures of them dressed in their costumes, or
have them cut out pictures and glue to the page. |
 |
Resource: Worksheet
Magazine (now Teacher's Helper) Gr. 1 Sept/Oct 1989
Pumpkin Transport
(alphabetical order) |
 |
Pumpkin Die-cut
Activities: You can use the Ellison pumpkin die-cuts to make
many, many activities. You can also use two different sized
pumpkin notepad shapes for these as well. Just cut out the
shapes or purchase the notepads and program them with:
*capital and lowercase
letters (students match the capital and lowercase letters)
*dots and numbers
(students count the dots and match to the correct numbers)
*seeds and numbers
(program half the pumpkin with "pumpkin seeds" that you've drawn on
with a Sharpie marker; they count the seeds and match to the correct
number)
*mini-stickers and numbers
(students count the stickers and match to the correct number)
*rhyming words (match the
word pairs that rhyme)
*rhyming pictures (match
the picture pairs that rhyme)
*opposites (students match
either pictures that are opposites or words that are opposites)
*synonyms (same as above)
*compound words (find the
two words that go together to form a compound words ... can use word
or pictures)
*ABCs (put a letter on
each pumpkin and have them sequence them in the correct order)
*words (put the words in
alphabetical order)
*vocabulary (match the
word to the correct picture; or the word to the correct definition)
 |
Made using shaped notepads |
 |
Perfectly round dots
can be made
using a new pencil
eraser and a
stamp pad |
 |
These are small
pumpkin patterns.
I programmed them
with numbers
to use for
sequencing. |
 |
These pumpkins are
programmed
for matching capital
to lowercase
letters. |
|
 |
Resource: Teacher's
Friend* October
Color Page
Creative Writing (writing
paper) |
 |
Resource: Worksheet
Magazine Gr 1 Sept/Oct 1990
Harvest Hopes (stationary) |
 |
Purchase a pumpkin to
use for math activities. Have the students estimate how many
seeds are in it, how much it weighs, and allow them to cut string to
show how big around they think it is. Also ask them if they
think it will float.
Then weigh it, put it in a
tub or sink to see if it will float, and check the students' guesses
about the size with the real measurement. Afterwards, cut off
the top and allow them to clean out the inside and count the seeds.
Have them count the seeds into piles of 10 or 100, depending on the
students. Then carve the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern and
have some type of pumpkin treat (pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies,
pumpkin fluff, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, etc.) Visit the
Wild About Watermelons! page to get more in-depth directions for
these activities. Just substitute the pumpkin for the
watermelon. |
 |
Pumpkin Decorating
Center: Instead of carving a jack-o-lantern's face on a
pumpkin, allow the students to use washable markers to decorate a
face. After they're finished, provide them with a wet sponge
and the marker will wipe right off and the pumpkin will be ready for
the next artist! :) The kids love doing this! |
 |
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
Once you've removed the seeds from a pumpkin you can clean and wash
them, then roast them.
1 1/2 t vegetable oil
1 t salt
2 C pumpkin seeds
Preheat oven to 250
degrees. Wash seeds under warm water in colander. Mix
together in bowl; seeds, salt, oil. Spread seeds on cookie
sheet. Bake for 30 mins., or until golden brown and crispy.
Use spoon to stir seeds from time to time while baking. Serve
warm or cooled, or mix with other dried snack foods to make a trail
mix. |
 |
Resource: Make Your
Own Holiday Books (Teacher Created Materials #393 |
 |
Planting Pumpkin
Seeds: I've never tried this, but you could try planting some
of the pumpkin seeds that you remove from your pumpkin. Our
watermelon seeds came up, so maybe pumpkin seeds will also. |
 |
Pumpkin Seed counters:
We also use watermelon seeds for counters with watermelon math
activities. I'd think that you could use pumpkin seeds as
well. Wash them and lay them out in a single layer on
newspaper to dry well.
Create pumpkin math
activities by purchasing small orange paperplates. Add a green
stem and maybe a leaf to them and program each "pumpkin" with a
number. Students count out the correct number of seeds on each
pumpkin to match the number. |
 |
Jack-o-lantern
Counting Activity: If you visit
Kinder Korner, on one of
Victoria's pages you'll see a math activity using small plastic
jack-o-lanterns and popsicle sticks. She programmed each
jack-o-lantern with a number and students add that many popsicle
sticks to the jack-o-lantern. I adapted that idea to make it a
little more "real", so I have my students count pieces of wrapped
candy into each jack-o-lantern to match the number. Sort of
like reverse trick-or-treating for them. :) |
 |
Resource: The Mailbox
Pre/K Oct/Nov 1990
Pumpkin, leaf, & seed
patterns |
 |
Resource: Lasting
Lessons* Fall Into Colors
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin
Eater (pumpkin house patterns)
Pumpkin - Pumpkin Cookies
recipe
Activities for The
Biggest Pumpkin Ever
Pumpkin Bingo patterns
|
 |
Resource: The Mailbox
Companion.com
If you have a subscription
to The Mailbox, check out the extenders for the months/years that
I've listed. They have some great pumpkin patterns and other
extensions. |
 |
A Grand Entrance!:
Turn your classroom doorway into the entrance into a giant pumpkin!
Using orange bulletin board paper, make a giant pumpkin that
surrounds your classroom door. Cover the door with orange
paper as well. Last, add a giant green stem to the top.
Now you'll find out how Peter Pumpkin Eater's wife felt! :) |
 |
Patchwork Pumpkins
Center: Provide students with a pumpkin outline, fabric
samples, and pinking shears. Have them use a green marker to
color the pumpkin's stem, then use the pinking shears to cut the
fabric swatches to cover the pumpkin. Have them glue the
swatches on the pumpkin to totally cover it, then trim off any
hanging over the edges. The pumpkins can be mounted on a
bulletin board with the caption: The Patchwork Pumpkin Patch
|
 |
Flannelboard:
Cut out a large pumpkin from orange felt, a stem from green felt,
and different kinds of facial expressions from black felt. Put
all into a Center with a flannelboard for students to create their
own jack-o-lantern face. |
 |
Pumpkin, Pumpkin shape
book: Provide each student with a pumpkin shape book with the
following text on each page.
pg 1: Pumpkin, pumpkin big
and round.
(students illustrate the
text by drawing a big pumpkin on the page)
pg 2: I'm glad you grow
upon the ground.
(students draw pumpkin on
the vine)
pg 3: I'm glad you don't
grow in a tree.
(draw pumpkins in a tree)
pg 4: Because you might
fall down on me!
(draw person or head with
a pumpkin sitting on top)
~ Author Unknown
Do a mini - drawing lesson
with them as they complete each page.
|
 |
Patterning: Use
various sizes and shapes to reinforce patterning. You can use
tall pumpkins, short pumpkins, scary jack-o-lanterns, cute
jack-o-lanterns, smiling jack-o-lanterns, frowning jack-o-lanterns,
pumpkins, leaves, fat pumpkins, thin pumpkins. If you laminate
the pictures, you can reuse them year to year. The students
can practice patterning with them in the pocketchart. They can
make up their own patterns, or you can provide cards programmed with
AB or ABC or AABB, etc. to direct them to which patterns you want
them to create.
For those students who
aren't at the creating stage yet, you can start a pattern in the
pocketchart and have them extend it using the pictures/shapes, or
you can provide the beginning of the pattern on a sentence strip and
insert it into the pocketchart. The students will then extend
the pattern that you've created on the sentence strip.
For those students who
aren't ready to even extend a pattern, you can provide a sentence
strip with a completed pattern on it. Place it in the
pocketchart and have the student reproduce the pattern in the row
below it.
Don't forget to
laminate all materials so that they'll be reusable from year to
year. When storing them, plainly label them so that you'll
know what they are at a glance the next time you use them. I
keep all sizes of ziploc bags for storing pieces such as these. |
 |
More patterning:
Using the ideas above, you can also have students glue their
patterns on to sentence strips using non-reusable shapes. If
desired, you can staple the strip around their head to form a
pattern hat. |
 |
Graphing: Have
students decide what kind of face they'd like on their own
jack-o-lantern and graph the results. (scary, cute, sad,
happy, toothless, smiling, frowning, etc.) |
 |
Mousekin's Golden
House: Read this book, then have students help create a list
of animals that could possibly live inside a pumpkin. Then
transfer the activity into a pocketchart activity. Create a
sentence frame: A _______ could live in a pumpkin.
Provide students with either words/pictures for the answers that
they gave previously. Allow them the opportunity to insert the
words/picture cards into the frame and choral read the sentences.
If you create both words and pictures, then the students can insert
the words into the sentences then match the correct picture to the
text. |
 |
Pin the Stem on the
Pumpkin: Place a large stemless pumpkin on a wall or bulletin
board at student level. Provide each student the opportunity
to be blindfolded and allowed the chance to place a green paper stem
on the pumpkin. (Back the stem with tape so that it will
stick.) |
 |
Discovery Center:
Place lots of different kinds of pumpkins and gourds in a Center
along with a magnifying glass for students to observe the
similarities and differences. |
 |
Pumpkin version of Hot
Potato: Play the Hot Potato game, but use a small pumpkin
instead. The students sit in a circle and pass the pumpkin
around while music plays. When the music stops, the child
holding the pumpkin goes to sit inside the circle. The last
person left outside the circle wins. |
 |
Sequencing: I bought a
package of pumpkin cookie cutters at Dollar Tree a couple of years
ago. There are about 5 cutters to a pack. The cutters
are graduated in size. They are perfect for seriation.
They can be used alone or the students can use them with playdough
to cut out pumpkins and then sequence them according to size.
If you don't have cookie
cutters, then you can also photocopy a pumpkin picture and enlarge
or shrink it to make 5 different sizes.
|
 |
Mr. Pumpkin! Well Hello!
You're back again this
year!
I see your eyes, I see
your nose;
You're grinning ear to
ear!
Inside we'll put a
candlestick
To make a lantern light;
Then set you on the old
front porch
And let you shine all
night!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Big and fat,
Turn into a
jack-o-lantern,
Just like that!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Jack-o-lantern
Jack-o-lantern big and
scary
Some are sad, some are
merry.
Some are large, some are
small,
Some just have no teeth at
all!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Bright
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
bright,
When the goblins ride
tonight.
Guide me with your kindly
light,
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
bright.
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
head,
When my "Tricks or Treats"
are said.
Will you light me to my
bed,
Kind old father pumpkin
head?
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
pie,
I'm so sad that I could
cry.
Why dear papa lantern,
why,
Must you end as pumpkin
pie?
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
bright,
Autumn lantern in the
night.
You'll be back next year
all right,
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin
bright!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin
Sitting on a wall.
(children sit down)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Tip and fall.
(children fall over)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Rolling down the street.
(children roll on floor)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Trick or treat! (shout
"Trick or treat!")
~ Author Unknown
|
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Out in the fields where
the cornstalks lie
Some pumpkins are
sleeping, but by and by,
We'll pick them and bring
them one by one,
Into the house for
Halloween fun.
We'll scoop out the middle
and cut a hat,
Make 2 eyes and a nose,
what do you think of that?
Put in a candle to shine
right through,
Now they're
jack-o-lanterns, BOO!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
What a funny seed I found,
I wondered what would
grow?
So I planted it in the
ground,
And now I know!
Little leaves were first
to sprout,
Growing in a line.
Then golden blossoms
opened out
Along the vine.
And then something grew
and grew and grew!
The biggest ever seen!
And now I have a pumpkin,
Just in time for
HALLOWEEN!
~ Author Unknown
|
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Pick a pumpkin from the
vine,
Pumpkin round, pumpkin
fine.
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine,
Let's pick pumpkins.
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine.
You pick yours. I'll pick
mine.
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine,
Let's pick pumpkins.
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Out in the cornfield
The nights are getting
cold,
And the farmer's pumpkins
Are turning into gold.
He chops down the
cornstalks,
They tumble one by one.
So the big, fat pumpkins
Can ripen in the sun.
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
(tune: I'm a Little
Teapot)
I'm a little pumpkin
Short and stout.
Chock full of seeds that
you can scoop out.
When I'm ready I will be,
The cutest jack-o-lantern
you ever did see!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
I'm a Little Pumpkin
(tune: I'm a Little
Teapot)
I'm a little pumpkin,
orange and round.
Here is my smile, here is
my frown.
When you take my off, you
will see.
All the things inside of
me.
~ Author Unknown
|
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Way Down Yonder in the
Pumpkin Patch
(tune: Paw Paw Patch)
Where oh where is
Jack-o-lantern?
Where oh where is
Jack-o-lantern?
Where oh where is
Jack-o-lantern?
Way down yonder in the
pumpkin patch.
Pickin up pumpkins .. put
em' in the wagon,
Pickin up pumpkins .. put
em' in the wagon,
Pickin up pumpkins .. put
em' in the wagon,
Way down yonder in the
pumpkin patch.
~ Author Unknown
|
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Pumpkin Time
(tune: Are You Sleeping?)
I like pumpkins, I like
pumpkins,
Round and fat, round and
fat.
See them growing on the
vine.
I can't wait to go pick
mine.
Pumpkin time, pumpkin
time.
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pumpkins on the Porch
(tune: Ten Little Indians)
One little, two little,
three little pumpkins,
Four little, five little,
six little pumpkins,
Seven little, eight
little, nine little pumpkins,
Sitting on the porch.
But the tenth little
pumpkin said,
"Don't put that candle in
me ..
It might scorch! Ouch!!!"
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Three Little Pumpkins
(Ten Little Indians)
One little, two little,
three little pumpkins,
Rolled down the lane like
funny bumpkins.
Had their faces carved and
thought they were somethin's
Funny Halloween
jack-o-lanterns!
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pick A Pumpkin
(tune: London Bridge)
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine (pretend to pick up a pumpkin)
Pumpkin round, pumpkin
fine (make gesture big and round)
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine (pretend to pick up a pumpkin)
Let's pick pumpkins!
(gesture "come with me")
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine (pretend to pick up a pumpkin)
You pick yours. I'll
pick mine. (point to you and me)
Pick a pumpkin from the
vine (pretend to pick up a pumpkin)
Let's pick pumpkins!
(gesture "come with me")
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
Pumpkin, Pumpkin
(tune: Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on a
vine,
When I pick you, you'll be
mine.
I'll carve a face for
Halloween,
And put you out where
you'll be seen.
Pumpkin, pumpkin on a
vine,
When I pick you you'll be
mine.
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
(tune: The Muffin Man)
Have you seen the pumpkin
man,
The pumpkin man, the
pumpkin man?
Have you seen the pumpkin
man,
Who lives in the pumpkin
patch?
~ Author Unknown
|
 |
In My Garden
(tune: The Muffin Man)
Do you know how the
pumpkins grow,
Pumpkins grow, pumpkins
grow,
Do you know how the
pumpkins grow,
In my garden?
First, I plant some
pumpkin seeds,
Some pumpkin seeds, some
pumpkin seeds,
First, I plant some
pumpkin seeds,
In my garden.
Then the vines and leaves
will grow,
Leaves will grow, leaves
will grow,
Then the vines and leaves
will grow,
In my garden.
Then the buds will turn to
blossoms,
Turn to blossoms, turn to
blossoms,
Then the buds will turn to
blossoms,
In my garden.
Then green pumpkins will
grow,
Will grow, will grow,
Then green pumpkins will
grow,
In my garden.
At last the pumpkins turn
to orange,
Turn to orange, turn to
orange,
At last the pumpkins turn
to orange,
In my garden.
Now I'll have some
jack-o-lanterns,
Jack-o-lanterns,
jack-o-lanterns,
Now I'll have some
jack-o-lanterns,
In my garden.
~ Author Unknown
This would be a good song
to sing while using the life cycle of a pumpkin activity already
given (where you pull the pictures from the pumpkin). You
might have to add the jack-o-lantern picture to the end.
|
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Pumpkin Pancakes
http://www.teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/
pumpkins.htm |
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Pumpkin Dessert
1 pkg instant vanilla
pudding
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 small can of pumpkin
1 C cold milk
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
Mix all ingredients
together. Pour into graham cracker crust and chill for one
hour.
|
 |
Pumpkin Treat
1 boxed spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin
pie mix)
Follow directions for cake
mix. Then add pumpkin to the mix. Mix together and pour
into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35
mins.
Note: This recipe calls
for baking the treat in an "ungreased" pan. Personally, I'd
think that the pan needed to be greased.
|
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Pumpkin Painting:
Buy several small pumpkins and cut them in half. Let the
children dip the pumpkin halves in orange or fall colored paint to
make pumpkin prints. If the prints seem to come out "gloppy",
try using less paint and/or resting the cut side of the pumpkin on
papertowels before painting.
|
 |
File Folder Activities:
I've made these two file folder activities to use with this unit.
In the first one, the students have to match the facial features.
And this is hard for some of my students. In the second
activity, they have to sequence the pumpkins in the correct order on
the vine. The pumpkins for this one are made from small
pumpkin shaped notepads. All materials are laminated. I
also make 2 of each activity so that I'll have one to send home in
Homework Totes, and one to keep in class.
|
 |
5 Little Pumpkins book:
This version of 5 Little Pumpkins is not the same one that we're use
to (sitting on the fence). However, this is a delightful
little book. The pumpkins that you see in the picture show
through circles cut in each page. It would make a cute
flannelboard activity, as the text begins with 5 pumpkins that
quickly dwindle down to becoming 5 jack-o-lanterns.
~ William Boniface
|
 |
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Comprehension (printable):
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2005F/051028_bp8.pdf
This is great for 2nd
graders and use to be on our state test (we don't take it any more).
If you want to cook in your class, it's a great way to add in
literacy. Have your students read and follow a recipe to do
the cooking, then answer comprehension questions afterwards.
You can also have them sequence the steps using either numbers or
cut and paste. |