UNLV/Department of Teaching & Learning

Elementary Lesson Plan Template

UNLV Student: Adawn Fulks PSMT Name: Mrs. Danzeisen

Lesson Plan Title: Pumpkin Circle Lesson Plan Topic: Science
Date: 10/23/2020 Estimated Time: 35 minutes
Grade Level: Kindergarten School Site: Vassiliadis

1. State Standard(s)
 N.2.A.3 – Students understand that science is an active process of systematically examining
the natural world.
2. Teaching Model(s): Direct Instruction
3. Objective(s):
 SWBAT identify vocabulary needed to explain the life cycle of a pumpkin by the end of the
lesson with 100 percent accuracy with support and prompting from an adult.
 SWBAT correctly identify the stages of the life cycle of a pumpkin by the end of the lesson
with 100 percent accuracy using words or pictures and with support or prompting from an
adult.
4. Materials and Technology Resources
 Book: Pumpkin Circle
 White board
 Pumpkin Life Cycle cut and paste page
 Pencil
 Crayons
 Lucky Duck Sticks
 Dry erase markers
 Computer with internet access
 Elmo

5. Instructional Procedures:
 Motivation/Engagement: (15 Minutes)
- Teacher will review vocabulary from the Pumpkin Jack book read previously in the
week
 Discuss the vocabulary, seeds, sprout, plant, vine, green pumpkins, and
orange pumpkins.
 *DOK Recall* T will pick a lucky duck to answer this question: In
Pumpkin Jack, what was left after the snow melted?
o Possible student answer: His seeds were left.
 *DOK Recall* T will pick a lucky duck to answer this question: In
Pumpkin Jack, what happened after Tim buried the seeds?
o Possible student answer: A sprout began to grow.
  *DOK Recall* T will pick a lucky duck to answer this question: In
Pumpkin Jack, what did the pumpkins grow on?
o Possible student answer: A vine.
- Teacher will introduce the book Pumpkin circle
 Teacher will read the name of the author/illustrator and tell the students the
difference between the author and illustrator
o “The author writes the book”: teacher will move hand in a horizontal
motion across the screen (as if they were writing)
o “The illustrator draws the pictures”: teacher will move hand/arm in a
large circle motion
- During reading the teacher will ask questions to help students identify key details in
the book in a way that helps them relate to their science concepts. Teacher will
introduce the “Lucky Duck” Sticks. These will sometimes be used to choose students
to answer questions. As the students identify the stages of the pumpkin life cycle the
teacher will write them on the white board.
 *DOK Recall* Ask the students to raise their hand and answer this
question: Now that we have read our story, we know that our pumpkins have
a life cycle. What was the first step in our life cycle? Does that remind you of
one of our fictional stories that we read?
o Possible student answer: The life cycle starts with the seed. Just like
Pumpkin Jack.
 *DOK Recall* Teacher will draw a lucky duck stick with a student’s
name to answer this question: What is the next step in our pumpkin life
cycle?
o Possible student answer: It was the sprout.
 *DOK Analyze* Teacher will draw a lucky duck stick with a student’s
name to answer this question: What do the sprouts need to grow?
o Possible student answer: It needs dirt, water, sun and time.
 *DOK Recall* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle?
o Possible student answer: The next stage is the plant.
 *DOK Recall* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle?
o Possible student answer: The next stage is the vine.
 *DOK Recall* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle?
o Possible student answer: In the next stage the flowers grow on the
vine.
 *DOK Recall* Ask the students to raise their hand and answer this
question: What is the next stage in the pumpkin life cycle?
o Possible student answer: Green pumpkins grow.
 *DOK Analyze* Ask the students to raise their hand and answer this
question: What is the next stage in the pumpkin life cycle?
 o Possible student answer: The pumpkins turn orange.
 Developmental Activities or Learning Experiences: (15 minutes)
- Now that the teacher has reviewed the stages with the students the students will take
out their scissors and glue stick and will cut out the words. The teacher will prompt
the students to follow the arrows on the page which identify that the stages continue
in a circle, creating the life cycle.
- Students will paste the words in the life cycle chart.
 *DOK Analize* Teacher will draw a lucky duck stick with a student’s
name to answer this question: What is the first step in our pumpkin life
cycle? How do you know?
o Possible student answer: It is the seeds. That is what the seeds look
like when you put them in the ground.
 *DOK Analyze* Teacher will draw a lucky duck stick with a student’s
name to answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle?
How do you know?
o Possible student answer: The arrow is pointing to the sprout. The
sprout is small when it comes out of the ground.
 *DOK Analyze* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle? How do
you know?
o Possible student answer: The next stage is the plant. I see the leaves
on the plant.
 *DOK Analyze* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle? How do
you know?
o Possible student answer: The next stage is the vine. I can see how the
vine is long and stringy.
 *DOK Recall* Teacher will use Dojo random select to have a student
answer this question: What comes next in the pumpkin life cycle? How do
you know?
o Possible student answer: In the next stage the flowers grow on the
vine. I can see the flowers on the vines
 *DOK Recall* Ask the students to raise their hand and answer this
question: What is the next stage in the pumpkin life cycle? How do you
know?
o Possible student answer: Green pumpkins grow. I see a little
pumpkin on the vine. In the book we know the little ones are green.
o *DOK Analyze* Ask the students to raise their hand and answer
this question: What is the next stage in the pumpkin life cycle?
o Possible student answer: The pumpkins turn orange. We only see a
pumpkin in the picture.
-
 Closure: (5 minutes)
 - Students will take turns using the vocabulary to identify the stages of the life cycle of
a pumpkin.
 Extension:
- Students who are unable to understand the concepts will be able to ask questions until
they are able to understand.
- Students who are more advanced can write sentence below describing the life cycle
of a pumpkin.

6. Accommodations, Modifications and Differentiations for Diverse Learners:

 Accommodations:
- Students who are unable to read will be helped with the vocabulary words. The
vocabulary words will also be written on the board and will be referred to each time a
stage of the life cycle is addressed.
 Modifications:
- If a student is unable to understand a question, the teacher will rephrase the question
until the student understands.
 Differentiations for Diverse Learners:
- The students will learn by the use of visuals, with oral communication, through
physical movement, and art.
- Students who are able to write, may write words to accompany their story.
- Students who are able to spell can write the words instead of using the cut outs.

7. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning:

 Formative: The formative assessment will be based on the performance of the students in the
following activities:
- Students will provide the teacher with a picture of their life cycle papers.
- Students will provide the teacher with examples of appropriate coloring.
- Students will repeat the life cycle of a pumpkin at the end of the lesson on their own,
with support from the teacher.

8. Homework Assignment: No homework is to be assigned for this lesson.

9. Reflection:

 Strengths: Students were able to make connections by repeating and seeing the vocabulary
and pictures of the different stages of the pumpkin life style.
 Concerns: The students did much better this week staying engaged, however there were a few
students who were still distracted, and tried to distract others. There were also students who
were not prepared.
 Insights: I think I need to have a better strategy for students who are not prepared. There are a
few students who will willingly go and find the papers they need if they weren’t prepared, but
there are others who want attention and continually ask where their papers might be. their
papers are strategically placed in binders and zip lock bags so they are easy to find.