This study is starting based on my students' interest in the seeds we took from our class pumpkin. Prior to visiting the pumpkin patch we graphed our predictions of how pumpkins grow (on a vine, in the ground, or in a tree). This idea is from More Than Counting: Whole Math Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten by Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus (pumpkin growing prediction chart, pg 184). On a side note, I highly recommend all books in their series!
On the hayride from the pumpkin patch, we discussed how our pumpkins actually grew (Did we have to dig them up? Did we pick them from a tree?, etc). The next morning back at school we revisited our graph again to confirm what we saw and how pumpkins actually grow. We predicted what was inside our class pumpkins and then cut them open to see if we were right.
We saved the seeds, planning to plant some and cook some. We read It's Pumpkin Time and planted our seeds in window boxes. The seeds we'd saved to cook molded so we tasted some I bought at Walmart. We have been observing our seeds and watering them daily. On days 16 and 17 we documented the changes we were observing. We will do this again on days 28 and 29 and periodically as our seedlings continue to grow and change.
Since the kids were so interested in our seeds, I wanted to further tap into that area of life science. We read Jack and the Beanstalk and each child selected a 'magic' bean to plant in a Baggie with a damp paper towel. We have hung these in our classroom window so we can observe exactly how the seed changes into a sprout. The kids drew a picture of what they thought would happen with their magic beans.
Currently, I am planning how we can capitalize on their interests with comparing different types of seeds and exploring indoor horticulture by growing pineapple, avocado, onions, etc. Check back to see where this project takes us!
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