Pumpkins

October 13, 2009

Theme: Pumpkins

Choosing Time: Play-doh & Throw a bean bag through the Jack-O-Lantern Face

We love getting our pictures taken!

Snack: Thank you Rae for yummy popcorn! I added some flavored mini-marshmallows to it for a fun surprise. Thank you Christine for sending snack at the last minute! It was a favorite! :)

Lesson:

• How many days does it take to grow a pumpkin? (100) What are the spring finger things of a pumpkin called? (Tendrils) What do they do? What are some different varieties of pumpkins? (Lumina, Munchkin, Max...) How does a pumpkin start out? (seed) What happens next? All eyes widened to see pictures of tiny pumpkin plants grow & stretch out to cover an entire yard. What is the pumpkin's "Gold"? and why is it important? What can we do with our pumpkins after Halloween? (Put them in our gardens to rot & help the soil for Spring) These are some of the things we learned today. I hope that our discussion will add enthusiasm for our visit to the pumpkin patch next week :)
• We took a little walk around my house to touch my pumpkins. Some are big while others are little. Some were smooth & others were bumpy. Each pumpkin is different and wonderful.
  
• We also talked about some Field Trip Rules: Be Respectful & Stay Together :)
• I suggested that when carving your pumpkins, save 5-6 seeds & bring them to school. I will save them so we can plant them in the Spring.

Art: Mosaic Pumpkins--This was a great activity to practice our small motor skills [& patience:)]

Books:

• Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson--a wonderful non-fiction book with amazing photographs!
  
• Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper--a fun fictitious story
  
• The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons--a non-fiction book with detailed information. After the author explains the process of the pumpkin cycle, she teaches us about how pumpkins became Jack-O-Lanterns & other uses for pumpkins throughout history. Illustrations are lovely.

Science: We evaluated our eggs...

• The egg in milk seemed to have a thicker shell...and the milk curdled even with being kept in the fridge....
  

• The egg in OJ had a grimy coating on it...

• The egg in Root Beer was BROWN...

• The egg in Vinegar was soft & rubbery. We learned that some eggs (like Dinosaur eggs were soft & not hard like Chickens eggs are). When we first held this egg it was slimy & undesirable. Then it dried up a bit & it became a favorite to hold. We loved bouncing it gently on the table.

The lesson learned: BRUSH YOUR TEETH!

Pumpkins bring smiles to me. I love the way they grow--twisting & climbing. They are as cheerful as Daisies. So, feeling happy we enjoyed pumpkin suckers as a special treat :)