1-2-3 Come Measure Pumpkins With Me!

Since the Apple Investigation booklet was such an overwhelming success, I decided to make one for your pumpkin studies.  This quick and easy booklet, will help your kiddo's learn about measurement in an interesting and fun way.

Students measure height, weight, width and circumference of their pumpkin. They trace and write vocabulary-building words, predict, answer questions, + collect and analyze data.  Investigating pumpkins, will help with Common Core State Standards: K.MD.1a, K.MD.2, 1.MD.1, and 1.MD.2.

Introduce measurement, by showing students all of the measuring materials and ask them if they know the names of these objects and what they are used for. 

Discuss the value of measurement, as well as how and why people measure things. 

You can do this booklet as a whole group activity using one or two large pumpkins, have students work in groups of 2-5 sharing a pumpkin, or use miniature pumpkins, and ask for donations. 

One year I had a parent who grew the gourds that look like miniature pumpkins; they brought in an entire box full. Another year, a child's family grew pumpkins, and donated a class supply of really small ones.  Often, farm markets will give teachers a discount, if you simply ask. 

Allow a few minutes for children to really examine their pumpkin by touching it, smelling it, and then describing their pumpkin to a partner etc.  I think one of their favorite pages will be measuring a partner with a pumpkin.

To make this do-able for non or beginning readers, work on the booklet as a whole group.  Read the 1st page aloud and model what you want your students to do, then have children do that portion of their investigation with their pumpkin. 

If you are teaching PreK, you might want to do just 1 booklet as a class.  Older students can work on this independently.  Allow enough time, so children don't feel rushed, and everyone gets a turn using the scale etc. 

To expedite things, you may want to borrow several other scales from fellow teachers for that part of your day.  To keep interest, with little ones, and because of time, you can also work on just one or two pages a day.

When your pumpkin booklet is completed, read it aloud once more, and have children share their results as you read that page.

Reinforce vocabulary by reviewing the measurement tools and words, and asking students: "What is a scale? What is it used for?"  "What is height? How can you measure it?" etc.  Click on the link to view/download the Pumpkin Investigation booklet. Looking for more Pumpkin Activities? Click on the link to pop on over to that section of my site for lots more FREEBIES!

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away!  If you'd like to see all of the creative educational items I pin, click on the heart button to the right of the blog.  I have a board especially for pumpkin activities.

"The whole art of teaching, is the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds, for the purpose of satisfying them afterwards." -Anatole France