Pumpkins

 

Pumpkins

Life Cycles Series

By Robin Nelson

Lerner Publications, 2009

Nonfiction easy reader, 24 pages

 

The life cycle of a pumpkin is followed from seed to fruit using single sentences under a bright, bold photograph of each step in the life cycle of a pumpkin. A diagram on page 18 reviews the steps of the life cycle and additional pumpkin facts round out the text. The book has a simple glossary and an index. For another life cycle book, see my post about Dandelions.

 

This is a pumpkin. How do pumpkins grow?

 Activity 1

Observe a set of seeds and compare how each seed germinates. Get a radish seed, a bean seed, a corn seed, and a pumpkin seed. Wet at paper towel and fold it to fit a ziplock bag. Lay the seeds on the damp paper towel and seal the bag. Place the bag holding the four seeds in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Observe the seeds and record the changes noticed each day. Make a bar graph to show the number of days each seeds needed to germinate.

This site has good background information.

For more simple pumpkin activities and ideas, see Enchanted Learning’s site.

More books about pumpkins:

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson and Shmuel Thaler

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and G. Brian Karas

Take a look at my friend Kathryn Lay’s pumpkin book, which is an excellent book for the fall, and not just Halloween.

Josh’s Halloween Pumpkin by Kathryn Lay and Katy Bratun

 

 

 

 

National Science Standard: life cycles, characteristics of organisms