🌱From a single seed to harvest, children follow six stages of a pumpkin's life with two hands-on crafts, then cut open a real pumpkin to measure, count and test whether it floats. Leveled passages and a mini-book let kindergarten through 3rd grade learn the same science at their own reading level.
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This pumpkin life cycle resource is a fall science unit for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. Children learn the six stages of a pumpkin's life, from seed to harvest, and the parts of a pumpkin both outside and inside, while practicing sequencing, labeling, science vocabulary and careful observation.
Two crafts make the life cycle hands-on. The Pull-Tab Pumpkin Slider comes in three differentiated versions, and the Life Cycle Spinner Wheel turns to show each stage, with a draw-your-own version for students who want to illustrate every step themselves. Both make a strong display for a fall bulletin board.
Reading and writing are woven into the science. The "How a Pumpkin Grows" mini-book gives early readers a book of their own, and leveled passages for K–1 and Grades 2–3 let older and younger students read about the same topic. A First, Next, Then, Last writing page asks children to explain the life cycle in order.
Practice pages include cut and paste sequencing and labeling pages for the outside and inside of a pumpkin. The Real Pumpkin Investigation brings in math as children measure a pumpkin, count, test sink or float and estimate the number of seeds.
A 5-day plan with differentiation ideas and standards, Pumpkin Facts for Teachers, three posters, eight vocabulary cards, a quick check assessment, answer keys and a Pumpkin Scientist Award round out the 27 pages. It suits pumpkin week, science centers, small groups, sub plans and homeschool.
📖 Teaching guide · 12 min readTeaching the Pumpkin Life Cycle in K–3: Lessons, Labeling and a Real Pumpkin InvestigationRead the guide →Children move the life cycle with their own hands on a slider and a spinner, read about it at their level, then see the real seeds and pulp inside a pumpkin. That mix of making, reading, writing and investigating helps the six stages and the pumpkin's parts stick.
Kindergarten through 3rd grade, with leveled reading passages for K–1 and for Grades 2–3.
Six stages of the pumpkin life cycle, from seed to harvest.
Only for the Real Pumpkin Investigation, where children measure, count, test sink or float and estimate seeds. The crafts and practice pages work without one.
Yes. The Pull-Tab Pumpkin Slider has 3 versions, the passages are leveled, and the 5-day plan includes differentiation ideas.
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