First graders had an exciting surprise “Pumpkin Day” yesterday!
First graders started the day with some special pumpkin-themed color-by-addition morning work and an orange glowstick bracelet waiting for them at their tables! The room was also transformed into a pumpkin patch with pumpkins all around the room, including a real one! After our morning meeting, we read a book called “Pumpkin Jack”. In the story, a boy watches what happens to his jack-o-lantern as it decomposes and grows into a pumpkin plant. First graders had a discussion about what happened to the pumpkin and how it relates to our learning. We noticed that the story of Pumpkin Jack was similar to the compost that we have been learning about in first grade and our native garden that the students have been learning about in outdoor education. We discussed how as it decomposes, it turns into rich compost that helps new plants grow with the support of garden insects such as ladybugs, earthworms, Swallowtail, cucumber beetles and more!
To make our own Pumpkin Jack we had to turn him into a jack-o-lantern! First we talked about the pumpkin itself and about knife safety as Ms. Ursino cut off the top of our pumpkin. We viewed the inside of the pumpkin before it was cleaned out and made observations about the shape of the fibers inside. Students then made predictions about what the inside would feel like.
Next of course we had to touch the guts! Students could feel the inside of the pumpkin or say “no thank you”. By the end, even the ones who started out with “no thank you” had changed their minds and decided to touch the gooey pumpkin insides. So much fun! Next, Ms. Ursino scooped out the guts of the pumpkin by hand. We kept the pumpkin pulp in one bag and the seeds in their own separate bag to use for a treat later. In the afternoon, we baked the seeds with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!
After their art break, first graders got to the most exciting part of the day! We had so much fun baking pumpkin bread from scratch! Before we began, we talked about food safety and made sure everyone washed their work surface and then their hands. Students measured ingredients carefully, explored fractions (If we need one cup and this is a 1/4 cup measure, how many of these do we need?), and took turns mixing everything together. We learned about many cooking vocabulary words including recipe, teaspoon, baking soda vs baking powder, wet ingredients, dry ingredients, whisk and many more!! We also learned about the science of baking and how heat changes the batter into delicious, fluffy bread. It was a hands-on, tasty way to combine math, science, and teamwork! While it was baking, Ms. Ursino carved the pumpkin! Pumpkin Jack is glowing on our front table for the near future to bring us some fall cheer before we watch him begin to decompose in a few weeks.
Later in the day, we read two stories with similar titles so we could compare them! First we read The Littlest Pumpkin by Herman R. A. In the story, the littlest pumpkin is one of many pumpkins at the pumpkin patch hoping to be picked. Person after person visit the pumpkin patch and don’t choose her because she is too small. She feels very disappointed when the pumpkin patch closes for the last time and she still hasn’t been picked. But much to her surprise, a family of mice living on the farm pick her to be their pumpkin and her dream comes true! Students made a text-to-self connection by talking about about a time when they felt disappointed and comparing it to the story.
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll is a story about two mice, Clayton and Desmond, who both secretly care for the same pumpkin without realizing it. Clayton waters it during the day, and Desmond does the same at night, helping it grow bigger and bigger. When they finally discover each other’s secret, they decide to work together and grow the biggest pumpkin ever—one that becomes the star of the town’s Pumpkin Festival. The story celebrates teamwork, cooperation, and sharing success.
In the afternoon, we baked up our pumpkin seeds while we did a cool literacy experiment! Students wrote invisible words with white crayon. After writing their fall words on the pumpkins, they traded with a buddy to use a marker to color in the pumpkin. When they did, it revealed the hidden word!
In the last part of the day, we sampled our delicious pumpkin treats!! The students loved the pumpkin bread and almost everyone asked for seconds! The pumpkin seeds got a more mixed reaction, but some students loved them and said they tasted just like popcorn!
Finally, Danika’s mom Fangfang brought us the most adorable pumpkin hats to wear on Raven Reach Out Day! Of course we had to try them on!!
We had such a fun day packed with learning at the first grade pumpkin patch!
