Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Music, Art and Physical Education
 

Learner Outcomes:
The children will memorize nursery rhymes.

Computer with PowerPoint program, "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" PowerPoint Slide 1  presentation.

Pumpkin stickers. (There are nursery rhyme stickers available at your local teacher stores.)

Book - Growing Pumpkins by Melvin Burger from MacMillian Early Science Big Books, "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" PowerPoint Slide 2, and PowerPoint Slide 3 phonic presentation.

Small group materials: Group 1 - large teacher made pumpkin pattern, crayons/pencils, 11” x 18” manila paper, scissors, orange paint, paintbrushes; Group 2 - catalogs, scissors and glue; Group 3 - 1 sheet of 9” x 11” orange construction paper folded into half (hamburger fold), smaller teacher made pumpkin pattern, crayons, scissors, glue and words to “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater”.

• Computer with PowerPoint program, "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" PowerPoint Slide 1,  PowerPoint Slide 2, and PowerPoint Slide 3 presentations, televisions, a projection device, chart paper and a marker.
• Computer programs that reinforce letter and sound recognition, such as, Friendly Forest Reading Club, Let's Go Read 1, Let's Go Read 2, Reader Rabbit, etc.
• Computers with internet access.

This lesson was primarily planned for October but could be adapted and used in November.

Check to see if there is a local pumpkin farm in your area.

Keep a checklist of the nursery rhymes the children have memorized through out the year. Introduce the nursery rhyme on Monday and then on Friday, check to see who can say “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater” without too much help. If they can say it, check off the checklist and give each child a pumpkin sticker.  (Teacher made sticker counting books are  a good way for children to practice numeral recognition and a nice way to store stickers.)

Introduce 2-4 different nursery rhymes a month.

Procedures:

Small group activity 1 - Using the teacher made pumpkin, have the children trace and cut out a pumpkin from manila paper. Then, have the children paint the pumpkin orange.

Small group activity 2 - Have the children find p- pictures from catalogs and save them for later. After their pumpkins are dry from group activity 1, glue the p- pictures on the back of the pumpkin. (Save the front for a math activity listed in enrichment activities.)

Small group activity 3- Have the children make a “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater” booklet. Fold a piece of orange construction paper into half. With the small pumpkin pattern trace it onto the construction paper making sure the top of the pumpkin is on the fold.  The pumpkin should open from the bottom. Have the children draw a picture of Peter and his wife or a mouse on the bottom half inside the pumpkin.  Glue the nursery rhyme onto the inside top half of the pumpkin. Take home to practice. (Older children could write the nursery rhyme from the chalkboard.)

Modify activities as needed for those children with special needs; one-on-one, or peer teaching, etc.

Modify as specified to meet I.E.P.

Modify lesson for children’s abilities, example, first grade could write the nursery rhyme or any of the finger plays or songs.

• "Five Little Pumpkins"
• Jack-o-Lantern Faces" (Tune: "Are You Sleeping")
• "Make A Jack-o-Lantern"
• "Did You Ever See A Pumpkin?"

• Sequencing activity – Have the children sequence the life cycle of a pumpkin. (Cards available from MacMillian Early Science Activities or could be made from various teacher resource books.) Then, have the children make a fan folded booklet (5 panels) about the development of a pumpkin. Page 1 - write 'seeds'. Draw dirt along the bottom. Glue on 2 pumpkin seeds. Page 2 - write 'vine'. Draw dirt and a vine. Page 3 - write 'flowers'. Draw dirt and pumpkin flowers growing on the vine. Page 4 - write 'pumpkin'. Draw dirt, a green pumpkin growing on the vine. Page 5 - write 'jack-o-lantern.' Draw a picture of a jack-o-lantern.
• Use various types of computer software to reinforce the alphabet letters and the sounds they make, such as, Friendly Forest Reading Club, Let's Go Read 1, Let's Go Read 2, Reader Rabbit, etc
• Pumpkin poetry: "The Pumpkin Patch"
• More nursery rhymes: Nursery Rhyme Land

• Shape recognition: Pre-cut 3 circles, 3 triangles, 3 squares, 3 rectangles per child out of yellow construction and a pumpkin mouth. On the large painted pumpkin from Language Art activity, glue an envelope on the back of the pumpkin for storage of the four shapes. Review the triangles, circles, squares and rectangles. Glue mouth on the pumpkin. Sing the song - "Did You Ever See A Pumpkin?" and have the children add the removable shapes for the eyes and nose. (It will help the children if the teacher participates with a large felt pumpkin and the removable felt shapes for eyes and nose.)  Older children could construct their own shapes.
• Pumpkin sequencing from small to large: On an 11” x 18” sheet of manila paper, have the children draw a field with a fence on a dark night with a moon shining. Then, have the children cut the prepared five little pumpkins from the orange construction paper. (Teacher made activity sheet with 5 pumpkins ranging small to large. The first and smallest pumpkin has a sleepy face, second pumpkin - silly face, third pumpkin – angry face, fourth pumpkin – scared face, and the fifth pumpkin – happy face.) Glue the  ”Five Little Pumpkins" poem on the bottom.
• "Five Little Pumpkins” Lesson plan for first graders: Scholastic

• Finding out about pumpkins: Create a language experience chart recording what the children know about pumpkins. Where they grow? How they grow? What is inside a pumpkin?  If you can not go to a pumpkin farm plan a field to a local fruit stand/grocery store and pick a pumpkin. Discuss the parts of a pumpkin? What is inside a pumpkin? What are the parts of a pumpkin we can eat? What can you do with a pumpkin? Measure and weigh the pumpkin with and without seeds.
• Pumpkin carving: Review the growth sequence of a pumpkin. Then, have the children take turns drawing faces on a couple pumpkins. Make it so each child will have a turn drawing a line on the pumpkin. Teacher/Aide cuts out the face. Then, the children help clean out the middle of the pumpkins. Save the seeds. Soak some of the pumpkin seeds in salt water. Fry or bake the pumpkin the some of the seeds and have a pumpkin seed tasting party. Lay aside some of seeds to dry. Keep for planting later.
• Pumpkin decorating: HalloweenKids.Com
• Planting pumpkin seeds: Put each child’s name on a zipper type sandwich bag. Have the children place a damp paper towel in their sandwich bag. Place dried pumpkin seeds inside. Seal off and then hang up near windows . Watch those seeds grow!
• More pumpkin units: Scholastic  and/or Education-world

• Hanging jack-o-lanterns: Have each child paint the outside/bottom side of 2 large sturdy paper plates orange. Let dry.  After dry, glue pre-cut eyes, noses and mouths on both of the paper plates. (Using different shapes for the face parts, give the jack-o-lanterns more interesting expressions.) Glue three green crepe paper strips on the bottom of one of the plates so they will hang down. Line up the two plates and glue them together on the lips. Punch hole in the top and put yarn through to hang around room.

• Make pumpkin bread, cookies, pies or pumpkin muffins: Search for pumpkins at Homecooking at About.com
• Fry or bake pumpkin seeds. Soak seeds overnight in salt water.  Either bake at or fry the seeds at 400 degrees until light brown, (Optional, add a little season salt before frying.)

• Take a field trip to a local pumpkin farm and let the children pick out a pumpkin to decorate.
• Pumpkin farm activities: The Pumpkin Farm

Cut out 26 pumpkins for each child in your classroom. Make capital letters on the left side of the pumpkin and small letters on the right side. Put in a Fall or Halloween treat bag and attach the following directions:
Pumpkin Alphabet Sequencing/Match Homework: Please have your child practice sequencing the letters of the alphabet. Start with the first 5 letters of the alphabet, A – E. Once, your child can line-up these letters add 3 more. Then, 3 more… until you get to the end of the alphabet. Afterwards, cut the letters apart.  Have your child match the capital and small letters.

Evaluation/Assessment:

• Teacher observation - group and individual participation .
• Nursery rhyme checklist - Have the children recite the nursery rhyme and check off as they say it.
• Checklist at centers.
• Computer participation by logging on and off
• "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" participation rubric:

National Standards:

West Virginia IGOs:
English/Language Arts: Listening and Speaking - K.1, K.2, K.7, K.8, K.12, K.13, 1.1, 1.2, 1.7-1.16
Reading Comprehension - K.14-K.17, K.19, K.21, K.23, K.24, K.31, K.32, 1.21-1.25, 1.29, 1.30, 1.43-1.51
Reading Vocabulary - K.41
Spelling – K.55, 1.75-1.78
Language – 1.92-1.100
Study Skills – K.60, K.61, 1.106, 1.110
Computer/Technology – K.64, 111.2-1.116
Math: Geometry and Spatial Sense - K.15, K.16, K.18, 1.27, 1.31
Measurement – K.22-K.24, K.1.35
Social Studies: Civics – K.1, 1.3
Science: Nature of Science – K.1, K.3-K.5, 1.1, 1.3-1.7
Scientific Attitudes/Habits of Mind – K.8-K.11, K.14, 1.9-1.12
Scientific Process/Thinking Skills – K.16-K.21, 1.17, 1.18
Laboratory Investigations/Hands On Learning – K.23-K.25, 1.24-1.26
Science Themes and Subject Matters – K.28, K.30, K.32, K.33, K.34, K. 54, 1.27-1.29, 1.31, 1.33, 1.34
Science, Technology and Society – K.64, K.68, 1.66, 1.70
Music: K.5, K.6, K.9, 1.4, 1.10
 

Pumpkins and Scarecrows from Carson-Dellosa

Food For Thought by Natalie Hill from Carson-Dellosa

Letter of the Week by Mailbox Magazine

Pumpkin Clipart: Back Yard Gardener

December Idea Book by Karen Sevaly from Teacher's Friend Publications, Inc.

Month-by-Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten by Dorothy P. Hall and Patricia M. Cunningham

Beyond Hands-On by Dr. Linda Karges-Bone from Teaching & Learning Company