$pumpkin stem activities kindergarten$

When time is up, students must step away from their towers. On your signal students can begin constructing their pumpkin towers. Give each team or student a pile of candy pumpkins and approximately 50-75 toothpicks. Structures will be measured from the table top to the highest point of the tower. The structure must stand unsupported long enough to get an accurate measurement. The structure must be constructed using only the candy pumpkins and toothpicks. The object of the challenge is for each team or student to build the tallest freestanding structure on the surface of a table within the allotted time period of 5 minutes (time can be adjusted). Students can complete this challenge in pairs, teams, or individually. The challenge is for students to build the tallest freestanding structure using candy pumpkins and toothpicks within the given time period.Ĭandy pumpkins (I’ve found that the softer Jelly Pumpkins are a little easier for very young students to use, the Mellowcreme Pumpkins can be hard for them to insert the toothpick) To make it easier for my younger students, I have them put the seeds in groups of 10 and then, if necessary, make groups of 100.

Count the Pumpkin’s SeedsĬut open the pumpkin, separate the seeds from the strands, and count the seeds.

Weigh the pumpkin and then cut it open, clean out the seeds and strands, and weigh it again to see the difference. Use a measuring tape to measure around the middle of the pumpkin. Pumpkin GirthĮxplain to students that a pumpkin’s girth is the measurement around the middle of the pumpkin. There are a number of different pumpkin attributes that students can investigate. They record their predictions on the left hand side and the actual results of the investigation on the right hand side. It makes them feel like little scientists! They have pictures to help guide them along. I like to give them “official” Pumpkin Investigation pages on which to record their predictions and results. This is a fun activity that allows students to make hypotheses about various attributes of a pumpkin and then test to see if they are correct. They are mostly hollow inside and there is enough air trapped in the center of a pumpkin to make it less dense than water and float.

I cut the pumpkin into the individual parts and place the parts in a sorting tray at the science center along with magnifying glasses and label cards.Īfterwards we discuss the results and I explain that pumpkins float even though they are large because they are not very dense. This hands-on science center activity allows students to closely explore and investigate the different parts of a pumpkin and then label them. They simply set it as the background in Pic Collage and then upload the photo of the pumpkin and label it using the word bank as a reference. I made a worksheet with a word bank for students who need help with the words. I take a photo of the pumpkin halves and students use Seesaw or Pic Collage to label the parts of the pumpkin. In this activity we are using it to record and label our observations. Since getting iPads I love to integrate technology and show students the different ways it can be used. Easy Technology Integration with Pic Collage and Seesaw Apps I follow up this activity with several fun labeling activities that allow me to see if my students comprehended and understood the parts of the pumpkin (plus they LOVE to label things!). They vary in size – sometimes they are shallow, sometimes they are deep. Ribs: Indented ridges running from the top to the bottom. Skin: The shiny, orange outer layer of a pumpkin that protects the insides from insects and disease. Once the pumpkin is ripe, the stem turns brown or brownish green. The stem is green while the pumpkin is still growing. It brings water and nutrients to the pumpkin. Stem: The stem is what attaches a pumpkin to the vine. I like to keep the explanations simple so my young students can understand. I use a real pumpkin and start by showing and explaining the outside parts of the pumpkin and their functions (stem, skin, ribs). Now it’s time to explore and experiment with the pumpkins! The Parts of a Pumpkinįirst we learn the parts of a pumpkin. Prior to visiting the pumpkin farm, we learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin with activities, games, & interactive resources and even planted some pumpkins of our own. After visiting the pumpkin farm (one of my favorite field trips!) and bringing back loads of pumpkins, I like to harness my students’ excitement about them by planning lots of fun, engaging pumpkin science activities.

Pumpkin stem activities kindergarten