It's fun to get a little messy! Today, we investigated the characteristics of 3 different sizes pumpkins to find out if size matters in how many seeds a pumpkin has.
Prep--- * 3 different size pumpkins with tops cut * plastic table cloths * spoons * shirts that students can wear so they don't get too messy * bag/bin to collect mess *
response sheets * book
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin * paper for Pumpkin Investigation anchor chart-- anchor chart has a 4 square---- The outside is... Lines... Seeds...The inside is....
I begin by reading the first part of the book and stop just before the kids in the book do the experiment. I set out the pumpkins and we predict how many lines and seeds each of the pumpkins will have and write them on our anchor chart. I divided the kids into 3 groups--- each with a different sized pumpkins. I put plastic table cloths on the desks with trash containers and spoons. Each kid had a clipboard with the response sheets on it. Then I let them have at it......
After students have cleaned out the pumpkins and have all of the seeds. We discuss what is the best way to count them... in groups they decide--- 2, 3,5,10, etc. Skip count, multiply, etc. And draw that on their sheet.
Once cleaned up... each group shares out their results for numbers, seeds, and how they counted them. We talk about what surprised us with the seeds--- does size really matter for pumpkins? What was the easiest way to count them... Why? In science we continued with the life cycle of a pumpkin. In writing they wrote a how to on carving pumpkins. I took the seeds home that night and roasted them so we could eat them for snack the next day.
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