Yesterday was the moment of truth for Ms. Morris’s Kindergarten students. They have been learning about pumpkins all week long. They began on Monday with an experiment to see if pumpkins would float or sink. Among the many things they discussed this week, they learned how pumpkins grow, the different parts of a pumpkin, and the difference between a jack-o-lantern and a pumpkin.
Yesterday was the big day, though. It was the day they got to cut open a pumpkin and see what was inside. First, they gathered around Ms. Morris and discussed a video they had watched. They discussed whether or not the video was correct about the color of the pumpkin seeds. They also discussed the seeds they were about to find inside the pumpkin, and if they were safe to eat and/or if they could plant them. The students decided that they could be planted right away, but would need to be cooked before they could be eaten.
Ms. Morris also reminded the students that the inside part of the pumpkin that you can eat was called the “flesh,” in addition to the students preferred term “pumpkin guts.” After making sure all of the students had on their safety glasses, it was time for Ms. Morris to cut in. After working through a suspenseful knife malfunction, Ms. Morris finally got the pumpkin cut open and the top pulled off.
The kids then pressed forward to see better and discussed the “stringy” part of the pumpkin. Ms. Morris reminded the students that the “stringy” pulp helped the seeds grow. She then passed around the pumpkin top, and allowed the students to touch the “stringy” part and the seeds. She also gave each student two seeds to take home. She then allowed students to come up in small groups and explore the pumpkin using magnifying glasses.
The kids had a great time with this hands-on learning experience. Thank you to Ms. Morris and all the other teachers for all your hard work and for teaching the students such a fun unit on pumpkins!