Fall 2001  

 
Pumpkin Poetry and Songs

Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Sitting on the wall.
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Tip and fall.
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Rolling down the street.
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Good to eat!

There is a little pumpkin
Orange and round.
Down in the garden
Laying on the ground.
But on Halloween night
You will see,
A glowing jack-o-lantern
Scary as can be!

There were 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,
"I don't care!"
The fourth one said,
"Let's run, run, run!"
The fifth one said,
"I'm in the mood for fun!"
Then crash went the thunder,
And out went the lights,
And the five little pumpkins
Rolled out of sight.

Pumpkin Song
(Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little pumpkin
Orange and round.
Here is my stem,
There is the ground.
When I get all cut up,
Don't you shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me out!

Mr. Pumpkin
(Tune: Where is Thumbkin)

Mr. Pumpkin
Mr. Pumpkin
Round and fat
Round and fat
Harvest time is coming
Harvest time is coming
Yum, yum, yum.
That is that!

 
Interesting Investigations

Here are some intriguing questions that will get your students involved in the learning process. They can be used as part of a group exercise with younger students or with older students working in cooperative groups.

Think about the creases that run from the stem to the bottom of the pumpkin.
1. Are the creases the same distance apart at the top, bottom, and middle of the pumpkin? If not, where are they closer together? Farther apart?

2. Measure the distance between the creases at the middle of the pumpkin. Are all the creases the same distance apart?

3. Compare several different-sized pumpkins. Do larger pumpkins have more creases? Do they have creases that are further apart or closer together?

4. Where on the pumpkin are the creases the shallowest? The deepest?

5. Is the crease visible on the inside of the pumpkin?

Speaking of seeds . . . .
1. Is there a relationship between the size of a pumpkin and the size of its seeds? If so, what is it?

2. Do bigger pumpkins have more seeds than smaller ones?

3. Are all of the seeds from the same pumpkin the same size? If not, where are the seeds the largest? The smallest?

Other thoughts . . . .
1. Do pumpkins sink or float. when placed in water? Why or why not?

2. If pumpkins float in water, do they float stem side up? Stem side down? On their sides?

3. If you tap on pumpkins of different sizes, do they all make the same sounds? If not, how are the sounds different?

4. Can you make different sound by tapping on different parts of the pumpkin? If so, why do you think this happens?

Problem Solving with Pumpkins

Read and solve the following problems. Check your answers with the ones provided on the answer key.

1. Sarah and John planted pumpkins in their garden last summer. In October they picked 11 orange Giant Pumpkins, 34 Jack-be-Little Pumpkins, and 18 white Casper Pumpkins. How many pumpkins did they pick all together?

2. David harvested 68 pumpkins from his pumpkin patch. Jim picked 36. How many more did David pick than Jim?

3. Mrs. Jones bought a pumpkin for her classroom at the Farmer's Market for $5.25. She paid for it with a ten-dollar bill. How much change did she receive?

4. Jamie's pumpkin weighs 24 lbs. And Jenny's weighs 18 lbs. How much do they weigh all together? How much more does Jamie's weigh than Jenny's?

5. Mr. Alison took 98 pumpkins to the market in October. Fifty-nine of the pumpkins weighed at least 10 lbs. The rest were miniature pumpkins. How many miniature pumpkins did he take to the market?

6. Brown's Pumpkin Patch harvested 176 pumpkins in October and 128 in November. How many did they pick in all? How many more did they pick in October than in November?

7. Mrs. Brown gave the fourth grade 45 pumpkins to sell so that they could raise money for a class trip. If they sold them at $5 each, how much money did they earn?

8. The fifth graders want to decorate the cafeteria for the Fall Festival. They would like to put 3 pumpkins on each of 15 tables. How many pumpkins do they need? If they have to pay $2 for each pumpkin, how much will it cost? If they sell the pumpkins for $4 each, how much profit will they make?

Answer key: (1) 63 pumpkins; (2) 32 more; (3) $4.75; (4) 42 lbs., 6 lbs. more; (5) 39 mini-pumpkins; (6) 304 in all, 48 more; (7) $225 earned; (8) 45, $90, $90 profit.

Growing Pumpkins in the Classroom

What's Inside that Seed?

Objective: Students will observe the embryo of a seed.

You'll need: Pumpkin seeds (enough so that each student has one) water, shallow dish, hand magnifiers

Procedure:
1. Discuss with students the conditions needed for seed germination: moisture, temperature, Is soil a requirement? Why or why not?
2. Explain the role and importance of the plant embryo.
3. Place a moistened paper towel in a shallow dish. Cover with pumpkin seeds. Cover with another paper towel and a small amount of water.
The next day:
4. Direct students to examine the damp seeds with magnifiers, observing the embryo. Have students illustrate, label, and write about their findings.

Ziplock Success!

Objective: Students will observe germination of pumpkin seeds.

You'll need: seeds (clean and dry), ziplock bags, potting soil, permanent marker.

Procedure:
1. Have each student label his/her bag with a permanent marker. They should include the variety of pumpkin planted and the date.
2. Place a small amount of potting soil in each bag and add several seeds.
3. Add a small amount of water and zip the bag closed.
4. Hang bags up in the classroom and observe. They should require no further care.
5. Record changes noted over the next week. Send the young plants home to be transplanted.

NOTE: This can also be done by substituting a moistened paper towel for the potting soil.

How Pumpkins Grow

       Pumpkins belong to a family of plants called cucurbits. Other members of this family are squash, gourds, melons, and cucumbers. These grow in fields on long vines that cover the ground.

       Pumpkins come in a variety of colors, from white to yellow to orange, and range in size from less than a pound to more than 1,000 pounds. They trace their origins to Central America. The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon, meaning "large melon."

       Pumpkin seeds are planted in May and June, depending on the temperature of the soil. The seeds, dependent upon warmth and moisture, generally germinate in 7 to 10 days.

       As the leaves and vines develop above the ground, an extensive root network is developing in the top twelve inches of soil. These shallow roots are noticeable as offshoots of the vine along its entire length. These roots are used to gather most of the food, moisture, and air that the developing plant needs.

       The pumpkin plant develops a strong tap root that grows as deep as 2 to 3 feet. Tendrils that form along the length of the vine help to support the plant.

       Yellow blossoms begins to appear after several weeks of growth. The vine develops both male and female flowers. Female blossoms are easily distinguished from the male by the presence of a small, rounded shape at the base of the flower.

       Bees spread pollen from the male to the female flowers. After pollination, the fruit at the base of the female blossom begins to develop into a full-sized pumpkin. At this stage of development, the pumpkin requires a steady supply of moisture and sunlight.

       It takes approximately 90 to 120 days for the pumpkin to develop fully after the seed has been planted.