Running Head: PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Pumpkin Life Cycle Unit Lesson Plans

Prepared by: Joanna Alexander & Kathryn Daniels
Subject: Life Science
Grade: Kindergarten
ELEM 521- Methods Of Teaching Science in the Inclusion Classroom
Dr. Madden
Graduate School of Education
The College of New Jersey

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Lesson Plan 1 - From Seed To Pumpkin Read Aloud & Booklet

Science Topic Covered: Life Science

Unit Essential Question

What is the life cycle of a pumpkin?
Secondary Question
What do plants need to live and grow?
Learning Objectives
Students will develop the understanding that plants, specifically pumpkins, have a life cycle with
a set of sequential stages: seed, sprout, vine, flower, green pumpkin, and orange pumpkin.
Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the life cycle stages by completing the
pumpkin booklet activity.
Rationale
Five and six year olds have a proclivity for tactile learning (are predominantly kinesthetic
learners). Therefore, providing them with multiple and varied opportunities to learn through
hands-on and kinesthetic activities will further aid their understanding of the subject at hand.
The life cycle of a plant takes a long time to see. Considering the three-day time constraint
of this unit, utilizing kinesthetic and hands-on tasks can activate students capacity for
comprehending this natural process. Five and six year olds are still grappling with more abstract
concepts of time such as past, present, future and the sequential progression of events (Miller,
Church, & Poole, 2015). According to Miller et al. (2015), kindergarteners therefore define time
by recognizable events and symbols. Providing students with visuals of the life cycle stages and
the opportunity to model the life cycle with movement works with the student's developmental
level for learning.
Moreover, the students will be interested and engaged with the lesson by getting to
participate in the pumpkin life cycle sing-a-long (kinesthetic and musical learning).
Giving students the opportunity to observe pumpkins in real life and touch and feel them
provides a sensory experience that they can connect to their understanding of a pumpkin. (sensory
and kinesthetic learning)
Using literature for the read aloud and sing-along activities creates an interdisciplinary
lesson by connecting science to literacy. Also, literature provides interesting context and an
engaging introduction for scientific concepts such as the life cycle. Learning about the life cycle
through a book provides students with the opportunity to build schema and therefore connect
more meaning to this natural phenomena. Moreover, going through the life cycle stages during
the read aloud also builds schema for students to call forth throughout the rest of the unit.

Prior Knowledge
Students will have seen, touched, and/or heard of a pumpkin.
Students will have seen, touched, and/or heard of seeds and plants.
Students will know that they used to be a baby, have matured into a child, and will grow to
become an adult.
Students will know that they need food and water survive.

NGSS
9.1.4.A.5 Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in classroom and family settings.

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Cross Cutting Concepts

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.10
Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
Read Aloud (Session 6 PP + Text Talk Article + Videos)
v Materials
o From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer book
Introduction
What do you think its going to be about? Turn and share with your predictions with the
person sitting next to you). - Turn and talk opportunities (Cooperative Learning)
Why do you think were going to read this book?
Set the purpose: Were going to read this book to learn about the life cycle (vocabulary) of a
pumpkin. To learn about how a pumpkin grows.
Is a pumpkin an animal? What is a pumpkin? A plant.
Do you think it's a vegetable or a fruit?
Its a fruit a fruit is the part of the plant that develops (grows) from the flower (vegetable
leaf, root, or stem)
So the life cycle of a pumpkin, plant or any other living thing is the different STAGES that
take place as it grows up.
Lets think about your life cycle and how you have grown up so far. What do you think was
the first stage of your life? Were you an old person? You were a baby! Could you walk when
you were a baby? Talk? No. Are you still a baby or did you grow up and move to a different
stage of life? What are you now? A child. So youve continued to grow and now you can do
more things like walk and talk and eat on your own! Well, a pumpkin and other plants do the
same thing- they grow from a baby, we call it a seed (everyone say Seed), to a Sprout
(everyone say Sprout), thats like being a child, to a vine (teenager, big kid), flower (younger
adult) to a pumpkin or other fruit (older adult).
Lets repeat that I say the word, then you say it back, Seed like a baby, Sprout, like a
child, Flower, like a big kid, Fruit, like an adult.
One more time and repeat after me, Seed, Sprout, Plant, Flower, Fruit
Are we ready to read our book?
Procedure
Page 5
What season do you think we should plant pumpkin seeds? In the winter? Lets read to find
out.
What season did it say? Spring (Read the sentence again if they dont get it.)
Does it look like spring time in the picture? What is in the picture that made you think it was
spring time?
Page 6
Ask Where are the seeds? in the ground then read page 6
(Think Aloud) - This reminds me of a time when I was planting seeds in my backyard and I
dug little holes in the ground to put the seeds then. I made sure to cover them afterwards so
that they were underneath the soil and protected from maybe animals trying to eat them.

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Read Page 7.
Page 8
What do you notice the girl doing in the picture? Why do you think shes doing that? What do
you think water helps the little green Sprout (say Sprout instead of shoot interchangeable
terms too confusing otherwise with the different terms) do?
Page 9
These Sprouts (not shoots) grow into tiny Plants (not seedlings)
(Think Aloud) Hmm, I wonder why the tiny plants are reaching up towards the sun? Can I see
you all reach up towards the sun too? (Model)
Page 10
Oh so the tiny plants reach up towards the sun so that they can get energy from the sun to
make food! They are hungry plants! I wonder what else plants can get food from?
Lets listen very carefully for the three things plants need to make food. (Model listening
ears). Read only top portion of page.
Who can tell me what one of the things they heard was that plants use to make food?
Skip Pages 12 thru 15.
Page 16
Before reading ask the students to notice the picture what happened to the leaves? Lets
look back to that last page and compare the leaves (Turn to page 11 and show the tiny plant
with its tiny leaves) then go back to page 16. What happened to the leaves? Did they get
bigger? Did they grow?
Page 17
Read page.
Wow, so the pumpkin plant now has flowers. Who remembers what the flower is being
likeis the flower a baby? No it's a young adult!. So lets think about thisthe pumpkin
plant went from being a babywhat do we call a baby pumpkin plant? A seed. So it went
from being a Seed to a Sprout (like all of you children) (and then what did it grow into?) a
Flower (like me, a young adult).
Read Pages 18-19.
Page 20
Read page.
Think Aloud - Im going to think about what I just read. So the flower petals fell off point to
picture to show no more flower petals but its still a flower and now a fruit is beginning to
grow from the flower without its petals! What do you think its going to grow into? (A
pumpkin/a fruit). Lets find out!
Read Page 21.
Page 22

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5
Summer is over, look at the picture and listen to me read the wordsas Im reading I want
you think about what season it is nowthen when Im done reading Im going to ask you
what season you thought of
Read page.
Ask, so what season is it in the book and here now?
Autumn!
Do you think that there are pumpkins in autumn? Why do you think that?
Page 23
Read page.
(Think Aloud): This reminds me of a time when I drove past a pumpkin field and all the pumpkins
were green. I didnt realize they were pumpkins at first because Im used to seeing ripe (fully grown
and ready to be picked) pumpkins, which are orange. But then, a few of weeks later I drove past the
same pumpkin field and the pumpkins had turn from green to orange.
What color is a pumpkin first? Green
What color did it turn into? Orange
Which pumpkin is older/has grown more the green or orange?
Read to page 27
Mini-Closure Discussion and Think Pair Share
Ask did you like the book? Why or why not?
What is something new you learned?
What did we learn about?
What was happening to the pumpkin plant as the book went on?
Does a pumpkin grow?
What other things can you think of that would grow like a pumpkin? (A pumpkin is a fruit
and a plant). (Turn and share with person next to you).
Booklet Activity
v Materials
o Pumpkin Life Cycle Booklets (Appendix Pages 6 & 7)
o Pencils
Procedure
Have the students seated at the rug and explain to them that they will be getting their own
book.
Explain to the students what the activity is going to look like and what they should look like
doing the activity.
o Notice each page has a word to trace in pencil. Each word that you write is a life stage
of the pumpkin.
o Show example booklet and read through it with modeling what to do on each page.
o Once you get your booklet, the first thing you will do is write your name on the front.
(Show back of the example booklet). Have students repeat directions.

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o Second thing is you will trace the words on each page. Have students repeat
directions.
o Once youve traced all the words you can go back and color in the pictures. Have
students repeat directions.
Show and explain appropriate colors with example booklet, plus have the
teachers at each table assist.
Mini-Closure:
o Ask the students that they understand what we are going to do and the order of tasks
(name, tracing, coloring).
o Ask the students what we should do if we need a (green) crayon. What could we do to
get a (green crayon)? (e.g. Ask a teacher). What could we do if someone has a (green
crayon)? How could we get the crayon and fill their bucket? Should we just take it
from them? What could we say to them? (Can I have that crayon?). What if they say
no.? What should we do then? Should we just take it from them? No. Could we ask
them nicely, Can I please have the crayon when you are finished?. Lets model that
have a student and model situation. Then have the whole class practice saying Can
I please have the crayon when you are finished?.
o Ask the students what were using the pencils for. (Name and tracing words).
o Ask the students what were using the crayons for. (Coloring).
o Ask the students how were going to walk to the tables. (Taking our time/slowly)
o Ask the students what the first thing were going to do is once we get our booklet.
(Write their names).
Split into 4-5 groups at the small tables with a teacher per table.
o Have the students complete one page at a time.
o Prompt students to say the word aloud as they go through each page with teacher
prompting and assistance.
Formative Assessment (Professional Noticing)
o While the students are working ask them:
Tell me what you are doing.
What stage of the pumpkin life cycle are you working on?
When a student finishes a worksheet have them show the finished worksheet to the teacher for
the teacher to check it for them.
Wrap-Up
o Have the students collect and clean up their crayons and pencils.
o Have the teacher collect all of the students booklets and hand back to you so you can
review them (Summative Assessment is the completed booklet).
Closure
The students wrote in and colored their booklets to reinforce their learning about the life
stages of a pumpkin and plants in general.
The students reviewed the booklets they completed with the teacher at their table.
Have the students sit on the carpet.
o Have the students turn to a neighbor and talk about what we did in reading today and
what their favorite activity was.

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o Ask the students to share what they learned today.
Discuss the pumpkin life stages with the scaffolding connections between
human life stages; pumpkin turning from green to orange as it matures, where
to plant seeds, what plants need to grow and get food from (sun, water, soil,
air).
v Accommodations:
o Struggling students can have the teacher at the table assist them with the booklet.
o Students who need more of a challenge can write out the words on their own on the
booklet pages.
o
Lesson One Appendix

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Lesson Plan 2 Observations, Counting & Measuring with a Pumpkin

Unit Essential Questions

How can we use evidence we observe to describe a pumpkin?
What can we use to measure a pumpkins height and circumference?
Learning Objectives
Students will understand that they can use their senses such as smell, sight, and touch to make
observations and predictions about a pumpkin.
Students will demonstrate their understanding that they can use their senses, such as sight, to
make observations about a pumpkin by completing the Our pumpkin looks like this and
Our pumpkin is (this size) on the Pumpkin Investigation worksheet.
Students will understand that they can use manipulatives such as seeds, string, base-ten
blocks, tiles, and plastic bears to measure a pumpkins height and circumference.
Students will demonstrate their understanding that they can use manipulatives such as seeds,
string, base-ten blocks, tiles, and plastic bears to measure a pumpkins height and
circumference by completing the measurement section on the Pumpkin Investigation
worksheet.
Students will understand that they can count by tens to figure out how many total seeds there
are in a pumpkin.
Students will demonstrate their understanding that can count by tens to figure out how many
total seeds there are in a pumpkin by completing the counting section on the Pumpkin
Investigation worksheet.
CCSS Mathematics
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.10
Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable
attributes of a single object. (K-PS2-1)
MP.4
Model with mathematics. (K-ESS2-1)
Introduction
(23 students 4 groups (6,6,6,5) approx. 20 minutes per group at each center)
Explain that they will each be going around to the four centers, one at a time, to learn more
about pumpkins. Each group will get a pumpkin that they bring around with them for the
counting and measuring centers.
Explain and show the example Pumpkin Observation Worksheet going through each section.
Explain which parts they will complete at each center. Check for understanding. Are we
completing the entire worksheet at one station? How are we completing the worksheet? When
will the worksheet be finished? (Once weve been to each station).

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Ask why they think we have the worksheet?
Explain we are completing the worksheet to record our evidence that we observe.
Vocab Learning Mini-Lesson
o Record
Means to write down
o Evidence
Data
o Observe
What we see and feel (or hear, taste, smell)
o Estimate
To make a reasonable guess (#)
o Predict
A guess based on information we know

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Learning Center 1- Measurement

v Materials
o Pumpkins
o String
o Base-ten blocks
o Plastic bear manipulatives
o Tiles
o Pumpkin Investigation Worksheet with Clipboards (see Appendix Page 7)
Procedure
1. Show students materials.
a. What do we have here?
i. String, Base-ten blocks, tiles, bears, Pumpkin Investigation worksheet, pumpkins
2. Ask the students what they think were going to use the cubes for? The string for?
3. Explain were going to use the cubes for measuring how tall the pumpkin is. Model.
4. Explain that were going to use string to measure how wide the pumpkin is around. Model.
5. Ask the students what we could use to measure how long the string is and therefore how long
the pumpkin is? Could we use the cubes?
6. Show and explain the students which parts of the Pumpkin Investigation worksheet they will
be completing.
a. Explain to the students that they will keep their worksheet on a clipboard with a pencil so
they can have something hard to write on. They will keep their worksheet with them for
the measurement and counting centers.
7. Check for understanding.
a. What are using the cubes for?
b. What are using the string for?
c. Show me which part of the worksheets we will be completing.
8. Have the students measure.
a. Ask: How long is it? (How many cubes?)
b. Ask: How wide is it around? (How many cubes?)

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

c. Ask: How did you find that out?
d. Ask: What evidence did we collect?
9. Have the students complete the Pumpkin Size portion of their Pumpkin Investigation
worksheet.
a. Color in the pumpkin by its size (small, medium, large).

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Learning Center 2 - Counting Pumpkin Seeds & Exploring the Inside of a Pumpkin
Prior to beginning the activity, the center should be set up with the following:
o 1 Pumpkin (pre-cut)
o Table covered with newspaper
o Large plate (for pulp)
o 4 large circles drawn for each student at table (used to place seeds inside for counting)
o Chart Paper
o Pumpkin Observation Worksheets (see Appendix Page 7)
o Pencils
o Orange and green crayons
Procedure
1. This center has two co-teachers leading the lesson. The pumpkin will be in held by one of
the teachers. The students and the teacher will be seated at a round table. An easel with chart paper
will be next to the table for one of the teachers to write on periodically.
2. One teacher will go over classroom and safety rules with the students. The activity will get messy so
everyone needs to be careful about getting their clothes dirty and respect each others space. The
other teacher will be preparing the seeds and giving each student a bunch of seeds.
3. Explain to students that at this center we will be exploring the inside of a pumpkin. Introduce the
vocabulary word observe.
a. Can anyone raise their hand and tell me what they think the word observe means?
b. Observe means to explore something about the pumpkin using our senses (touch, see, smell).
c. Point to the written word observe and its definition on the easle.
4. The teacher will hold the pumpkin and ask the students to observe what it looks like and how it
smells.
5. Can anyone make a prediction as to what its inside of the pumpkin?
a. Explain that when we predict something, we make a guess.
b. Point to the written word predict and its definition on the easle.
6. Go around the table and ask students to make a prediction. Teacher will explain to students that she
will be writing their predictions down on the chart paper as they answer.
a. The other teacher will go around the table and ask each student, one at a time, How do you think
the pumpkin is going to feel inside? as that student feels inside the pumpkin.
b. Ask specific questions: Will it be sticky? dry? wet? cold? soft? hard? Which part of the pumpkin
do you think feels hard (the seeds)? Why part feels mushy? (the pulp). Did it feel like there were a
lot of seeds or just a couple?
7. The other teacher writes out the students predictions.
8. Once every student has gone the teacher who was writing will review the predictions she wrote
down with the students.
9. Have students wash their hands.
10. Once the students have each had a turn to observe how the pumpkin feels inside, ask them about
their predictions.

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12
a. Were their predictions were correct or incorrect? Was the pumpkin hard inside? Was the pumpkin
slimy? Were there a lot of seeds?
11. One teacher explains that next we are going to count the seeds inside. Explain to the group that the
other teacher will remove the pulp from the pumpkin and separate the seeds so we can count them. This
will be done on a large plate.
12. As the other teacher is prepping, the other teacher will explain to the student and show how this
activity will look like. Notice that you each have four circles in front of you drawn on the paper on the
table.
a. Teacher will explain, model, and have the students go through each step themselves while the
teacher does the step.
b. Give each student a pile of pumpkin seeds.
c. The teacher will model counting out one pumpkin seed at a time as she puts the seeds in the circle.
Explain that we are going to count out 10 seeds.
d. Once you have 10 seeds counted out in your circle, you can move on to another one of your
circles to count and place 10 seeds in that circle. Continue until all four of your circles are filled or
until there are no more seeds for the table.
13. Remind students to count out loud as they go so that they can make sure they do not skip a number
while counting.
14. Monitor students as they count and help as needed.
15. Once all of the students have filled 3-4 of their circles with 10 seeds each, explain that we are now
going to count how many circles we have filled up.
16. Go around to each student and have them count out loud how many circles they have with 10 seeds
each. Then the teacher will say, for example, you have 3 circles with 10 seeds in each circle. I am going
to count by tens to see how many seeds you have counted in total...10,20,30...Now you count with
me...10, 20, 30...Jayden has counted 30 seeds. One teacher will write the number of seeds that student
counted on the chart paper.
17. Once each students total number of seeds has been counted, one of the teachers will count the
combined, total number of seeds and write that number on the chart board. The teacher will say the
number aloud and then have the students repeat the number. We all counted a total of ___ seeds. This
pumpkin had ___ seeds.
18. Once all of the seeds have been counted, one teacher will supervise and assist students in washing
their hands thoroughly. Once all of the students have washed their hands they will collect their Pumpkin
Observation Sheet and clipboard and meet at the carpet. The easel will be turned out to face the carpet
now instead of the table so the students can see the total number of seeds.
a. One teacher will pass out pencils and direct attention toward the easel and teacher explaining the
total number of pumpkin seeds that was counted.
19. Go over the number again, have the students repeat it. Show the students where on their worksheet
they will write the total number of seeds. Have the students record the final number of seeds on their
Pumpkin Observation Sheet.
20. Discussion on the carpet.
a. Ask the students if the pumpkin was bigger do they think it would have more seeds? What about
if the pumpkin was smaller?
b. Anything surprise you? Were you surprised by how many seeds there were?
c. What did you learn about what the inside of a pumpkin is like? What did it feel, smell, look like?
21. Explain to the students that they will now complete the section of their worksheet where they will
draw a picture of their pumpkin. Teacher will pass out orange crayons to the students. The pumpkin will
be brought over to the carpet for them to see as they draw as a reference.

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a. Model and have the students point on their worksheet where they will be drawing their
picture. b.Students will use pencils, orange crayons, and green crayons to draw their picture.
Suggest drawing the stem and the lines.
Wrap-Up
1. Once the students have finished their drawing, choose helpers to collect pencils, green crayons,
orange crayons, and clipboards with worksheets on them. Prompt the helpers to ask a student first before
taking the object away from them, for example, Are you finished with your pencil?
Learning Center 3 - Pumpkin 10-Frame Memory Game
v Materials
o Deck of pumpkin 10-frame cards (see Appendix Page 8 for examples)
Procedure
Have the Pumpkin 10-Frame cards set up face down in a square pattern.
Explain and model to the students that they will each take a turn and try to match a numeral
with its quantity (ten-frame pumpkins).
o When they find a match they keep it.
o When they flip over two cards that do not match they make sure everyone got to see
what cards they flipped over and then put them back face down. Try to remember
where those cards were so you can pick one up when you see its match if someone
else gets it or you get its match on another turn.
Depending on time, repeat the game.
Learning Center 4 Various Math Centers
o Students choose which math center they wish to work in. The math centers include:
Using Playdough to make the numbers in numeral form and roll balls of Playdough to
represent the quantity each number represents.
Disposable bat-picture plates that each have a number on them. The students clip the
correct quantity of clothespins on each number plate.
Elephant cards that each have a number on them plus the number in 5-frame form.
Students clip the correct quantity of plastic links to the elephant cards.
Plates that each have a number on them. Students will pick up the correct quantity of
pom-poms with tweezers and put them on the number plate.
Puzzles with the numbers 1 through 10.
Matching laminated paper crayon boxes that have numbers on them with the correct
quantity of laminated paper crayons.
Closure
Meet at the carpet for review.
Go over completed Pumpkin Investigation worksheet.
o Measurement
o Counting
o Size of pumpkin
o Describing pumpkin

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

What does it look like?
How does the inside feel?
Questions:
o What did we learn today?
o What was your favorite center and why?

14

Accommodations
Early Finishers Complete the Draw a picture of my pumpkin portion of the Pumpkin
Investigation Worksheet.
Struggling students can get further assistance from the teacher at their center. They can
also work together with a partner.

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Lesson 2 Appendix
Pumpkin Investigation Worksheet

15

PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

Pumpkin 10-Frame Cards for Memory Game

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Lesson Plan 3 - How Pumpkins Grow

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Title: How Pumpkins Grow

Topic: Life cycle of a pumpkin
Essential Question: How do plants (more specifically pumpkins) grow?
Standards:
NGSS
K-LS1-1. Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans)
need to survive.
Learning Objectives & Assessments:
Learning Objectives
The learners will be able to participate in a song
about the life cycle of a pumpkin.

Assessments
Teacher will check for participation during the
song.
Teacher will check for understanding during a
whole-class discussion prior to signing the song.

The learners will be able to complete a

sequencing craft about the life cycle of a
pumpkin.

Teacher will check that students are able to

assemble the life cycle craft by using the correct
sequence of stages in the pumpkins life cycle.

Students will develop the understanding that the growth life cycle of a pumpkin is sprout, vine,
flower, green pumpkin, and orange pumpkin.
Students will develop the understanding that pumpkins need sun and water to grow.

Materials:
Smart board/Projector
How Pumpkins Grow song {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-GwFHQZI8}
Orange paper plates (pumpkins)
Green construction paper (stems)
Yarn
Life cycle print outs (6 for each student)
Glue sticks
Pre-lesson assignment and/or prior knowledge:
Students will have an introductory lesson earlier in the week on the life cycle of pumpkins
and what they need to grow.
Students will also have a lesson on observing pumpkins, counting pumpkin seeds,
measuring the height/circumference, etc.
Students will have the prior knowledge of what pumpkins are and that pumpkins, like all
plants, grow in stages.

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Students will have the prior knowledge that the stages a plant goes through are called a
life cycle.
Students will have the prior knowledge that the life cycle is as follows: seed, sprout, plant,
flower, green pumpkin, and orange pumpkin (from lesson earlier in the week).
Students will know that pumpkins need food and water survive.
Lesson Beginning:
Activate Prior Knowledge
1. This week we have been learning all about pumpkins! Earlier in the week we read a book
about how pumpkins grow. Then yesterday and today we learned about what pumpkins
look like on the inside, counted their seeds, and measured them.
2. Today we are going to talk more about how pumpkins grow and the stages they grow in.
This is called a life cycle.
3. Who remembers the book Ms. Alexander read this week about how pumpkins grow and
the booklet that we all made?
4. The book taught us that pumpkins grow in stages..just like we do!
5. Lets refresh our memory and go over the stages that pumpkins grow in.
(Seed, sprout, plant, flower, green pumpkin, orange pumpkin).
6. Does anyone remember what pumpkins start off as before the can grow at all? I will give
you a hint..we plant them in the ground.
a. Seeds.
b. When we opened the pumpkins up in our centers, and counted their seeds what did
we notice? Did they have a lot of seeds or just a few?
7. Just like we do, pumpkins start off as babies, and as they get food, water, and sunlight
they grow to be big and strong orange pumpkins!
Instructional Plan:
Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-GwFHQZI8)
1. We are going to continue to learn about how pumpkins grow and we will be learning a
song today that will help us to remember the stages.
2. Songs are a really fun way to help us remember things and learn about new things too!
3. Remind the class that the way a plant grows (from seed to mature plant) is called a life
cycle. Ask the class if anyone can explain what a life cycle is?
a. A life cycle is all of the stages the plant goes through to change from a seed to a
mature plant.
b. Relate this to the life cycle of humans that we discussed in class earlier in the
week.
4. Check for understanding.
5. This song we are learning today is a very special song that movements to go along with it.
6. With each part of the song we are going to act out the stage that the pumpkin is in.
7. Before the song begins, model each movement that will go along with the stages sung in
the song.
Opening part of song-do you know how pumpkins grow?
Plant seeds
Sprouts grow
Vines and leaves grow
Flowers grow

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Green pumpkin
Orange Pumpkin
Ending part of song-now we know how pumpkins grow
8. Tell the class everyone can sit on their knees and we will sing together. They will follow
the movements of Ms. Alexander I.
9. Remind students of classroom rules. Each student should have enough space around them
so they do not bump or hit into others during the movements and song. Classroom
management.
10. Play song Do you know how Pumpkins grow? (2 minutes 30 seconds).
11. As the song plays, model the following movements for each stage and have the class join.
Opening part of song-do you know how pumpkins grow? (hands out asking a
question)
Plant seeds (knees on floor, planting seeds with hands)
Sprouts grow (knees on floor, sprout growing with arms)
Vines and leaves grow (knees on floor, arms moving and twisting like vines)
Flowers grow (knees on floor, hands opening and closing like a flower)
Green pumpkin (rise from the ground, now standing, arms over head mimicking an
almost round shape)
Orange Pumpkin (standing up, arms over head, hands touching mimicking a large
circle)
Ending part of song-now we know how pumpkins grow (clap hands together)
12. That was a really fun song! Put your thumb up if you liked that song too.
13. Go over with the class the different stages of how pumpkins grow once the song is
finished. Encourage students to recall by using the various movements we modeled in the
song.
Plant seedsSprouts growVines and leaves growFlowers growGreen
pumpkinOrange Pumpkin
Before the pumpkins leaves and vines grow what are they?
o Sprouts.
What do farmers do with the seeds in order for them to grow?
o Plant them.
Where do they plant the seeds?
o In the ground, under the dirt.
What do seeds need in order to turn into big, orange pumpkins?
o Sunlight, water, air
Are pumpkins green or orange when they are fully mature and adults?
o Orange
14. Discuss with the class how songs can help us remember things. In the next activity, we
will need to remember the different stages pumpkins go through in order to complete our
craft.
15. Go over the life cycle once more with the students and check for understanding.
Life Cycle Sequencing Craft
*Prior to the activity, have pencils, life cycle cards, paper plate pumpkins, yarn, crayons, and
glue sticks for each student set up at every table.
1. Now we are going to make our own pumpkin life cycle models!
2. Explain the directions to students:

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20
Each student will sit at a table. The materials will be on the tables.
Each student will get a pumpkin. What is the first thing you will do when you get your
pumpkin? What is the first thing we always do when we start working on an activity?
o Write your name on the back!
Ask-what is the first thing we are going to do when we get our pumpkins?
o Write our names on the back!
Each student also has a set of pictures that represent each stage of the life cycle of a
pumpkin.
Show the class the picture for each stage and check that the class knows what each
stage each picture represents. Go over which each picture is. Check for understanding.
o Connect to the song
o Explain that there is a picture and the words that say what each stage is.
The pictures will not be colored in. The second thing students will do is color in the
pictures based on the colors we saw in the video.
o Show the final craft and model coloring each picture.
Colors are as follows:

3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

Orange pumpkin-orange, green stem

Green pumpkin-green
Flower-yellow
Plant-green
Sprout-green on top, brown on the bottom
Seeds-brown
Check for understanding. What is the first thing we will do when we sit down? What
is the second thing we will do?
o 1st-write name on back
o 2nd-color in the pictures
Once all of the pictures are colored in, each student will put the pictures in order of
how the stages occur in the life cycle. Provide students with the order and model how
this will look on the string of yarn.
o The picture closest to the pumpkin on the yarn is the orange pumpkin, then the
green pumpkin, then the flower, plant, sprout and seed.
o The seed should be the first picture at one end of the yarn and the orange
pumpkin should be at the opposite end of the yarn.
The pictures will be folded in half and glue to the string. Teachers will assist tables.
o Model folding the pictures in half, gluing the pictures together on the string.
Once we have colored in all the pictures. What do I do next?
a. Glue pictures together on the yarn.
Before students walk over to the tables, check for understanding once more.
a. What is the first thing we are going to do?
b. What do we do after we write our names?
c. What do we do after we have colored in all of the pictures?
d. What should we do when we are done?
Ask students to walk over to the tables.
While students are completing the activity teachers will walk around the room and assist
students with coloring and arranging the life cycle.
Once students are done, they should raise their hand so a teacher can check their work.
Students who finish early can work on math center bins on the carpet.

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Closure:
1. Have the class gather on the carpet once they have turned in their life cycle craft.
2. Call on several students and ask what they learned about pumpkins today.
3. Prompt students by asking about the various stages of the life cycle.
Lesson 3 Appendix
How Pumpkins Grow Song

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PUMPKIN LIFE CYCLE MINI-UNIT

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Pumpkin Life Cycle Sequencing Craft

References
Miller, S.A., Church, E.B, & Poole C. (2015). Ages & Stages: How Children Develop a Sense of Time.
Scholastic Early Childhood Today. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/ages-stageshow-children-develop-sense-time