The Pumpkin Lesson

1. The Pumpkin Lesson By: Hannah Canary First Grade Inclusive Classroom

2. Objective: • Given 2 pieces of literature (books “Pumpkin Pumpkin” and “Its Pumpkin Time”), a pumpkin, a song, and a movie (It’s the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown), students shall demonstrate knowledge of basic science concepts of physical science, life science, and earth and space science through direct experience, including an understanding of concepts related to everyday life through characteristic properties of objects, patterns, and how they repeat, and cycles. By the end of this unit, students should be able to explain the life cycle of a pumpkin, identify the stages of a pumpkin’s life cycle, and recognize a pattern in nature.

3. Learning Standards NY State: • Mathematics, Science, and Technology • Standard 1:    Analysis, Inquiry, and Design • Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions. • Standard 2:   Information Systems • Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies. • Standard 4:   Science • Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. • Standard 5:   Technology • Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs. • Standard 6:   Interconnectedness: Common Themes • Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning. • Standard 7:   Interdisciplinary Problem Solving • Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

4. Learning Standards NY State Continued • English Language ArtsStandard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding • Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. • Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression • Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation. • Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation • Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues. • Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction • Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

5. Learning Standards NETS-T • 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity • Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student • learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers: • a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness • b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources • c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, • and creative processes • d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual • environments • 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments • Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to • maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers: • a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity • b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become • active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress • c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using • digital tools and resources • d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology • standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching • 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning • Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers: • a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations • b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success • and innovation • c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats

6. Lesson Activities Day One: • Create a KWL chart on pumpkins. • Read the story Pumpkin Pumpkinby Jeanne Titherington. • Fill in any information on the KWL chart. • Teach students the pumpkin song • Watch a different pumpkin song on YouTube • Have students sit in a circle with a pumpkin in the center; have children record observations on given sheet • Sheet includes pumpkin seed counting record (teacher will cut open pumpkin and clean out the seeds with the students; teacher will give each student seeds to count, in the end we will tally up how many seeds are in the pumpkin and students will record results). • Have students make their own pumpkin by painting and cutting out pumpkin shape; hang on wall under the title “Our Class Pumpkin Patch.”

8. Pumpkin Songs • Pumpkin Song • Pumpkin Life Cycle Song (Tune: "You get a line & I'll get a pole, honey" tune)Together let's go plant a seed, in dirtTogether let's go plant a seed, in dirtTogether let's go plant a seed,soon we'll have a sprout to feed,Vines & leaves grow next, you see, Vines & leaves grow next, you see, Vines & leaves grow next, you see,they start a flower for you & me,That flower hides a pumpkin green, That flower hides a pumpkin green, That flower hides a pumpkin green, LOOK closely or it won't be seen,To turn bright orange it won't take long, To turn bright orange it won't take long, To turn bright orange it won't take long, andthat's the end of my pumpkin song,

9. Lesson Activities Day Two: • Teacher will have baked the pumpkin seeds for the students to try. • Sing pumpkin song again. • Read the book Its Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall. • Pumpkin “recycling” activity: As a class we will take a small pumpkin and smash it so that it will decompose, take seeds out and spread around to ensure pumpkin growth • Students will record observations weekly on their own wiki spaces on our class website

11. Lesson Activities Day Three: • Review our KWL chart and the pumpkin life cycle. • Students will perform their authentic assessment; students will place pictures and labels of pumpkin life cycle in order and then present their work to the class. • After assessment students will be able to watch the Charlie Brown movie.

13. Authentic Assessment For the authentic assessment students will color pictures of different stages in the life cycle. Students will then place the pictures in correct order. Students will place the labels to correspond with the pictures. Students will then present to the class, and give an explanation as to why they put the papers in the order they did.

15. Reflection: This is a great hands-on lesson for early childhood students that also allows them to learn the life cycle of most plants. With regards to technology students are exposed to YouTube selections, a movie, and able to create a journal on their own wiki space weekly.

16. Differentiation In this class there are two students with labeled disabilities. Student One-This student has dysgraphia and is unable to use any painting materials because he is unable to hold a paint brush. This student will instead use play dough in order to display his artistic abilities. Student Two-This student has an SLD which affects her reasoning skills and is unable to correctly sequence materials. This student will be allowed extra time during the authentic assessment, and will work one on one with an aide for this project.