Pumpkin Life Cycle Lesson Script

Warm-Up: What Do You Know About Pumpkins? (5 minutes)

(Teacher displays a real pumpkin or a large image of a pumpkin - The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 1)

"Good morning, everyone! Look what I have here! Who knows what this is?"

(Pause for student responses)

"That's right, it's a pumpkin! We see lots of pumpkins around this time of year, don't we? What do you know about pumpkins? Where do you think they come from?"

(Encourage students to share their ideas. Prompt with questions like, "Do they grow on trees? Do we find them in the store ready-made?")

"Today, we're going on an exciting adventure to learn all about how pumpkins grow!"

Introduction to Life Cycle (10 minutes)

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slides 2-3)

"Every living thing, like us, animals, and plants, has something called a life cycle. Can you say 'life cycle'?"

(Wait for students to repeat)

"A life cycle is like a special journey, a way something grows and changes from a tiny start to being all grown up. Think about a baby. A baby grows into a child, then an older kid, and then an adult! That's a life cycle! Pumpkins have a life cycle too! They start very tiny and grow into big, round pumpkins."

"Are you ready to discover the amazing journey of our pumpkin friend?"

Explore the Pumpkin Life Cycle Stages (20 minutes)

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 4)

"Our pumpkin's journey begins with a tiny, tiny seed. Look at this!" (Show a real pumpkin seed or the image on the slide) "It's so small, but it holds a big secret! Inside this little seed is everything needed to make a giant pumpkin! We plant this seed in the warm dirt, give it water and sunshine, and then..."

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 5)

"The seed wakes up! It grows little roots down into the soil to drink water, and a tiny green sprout pops up out of the ground! It grows bigger and bigger into a green plant. See how it reaches for the sun?"

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 6)

"Next, our pumpkin plant grows beautiful, bright yellow flowers! These flowers are so important! Bees and other insects love to visit these flowers. The flowers help the pumpkin grow! Can you imagine a yellow flower turning into an orange pumpkin? It's magic!"

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 7)

"And then, ta-da! The flower changes, and a tiny green baby pumpkin starts to grow where the flower was! It's so little at first, but it keeps drinking water and soaking up the sun, and it gets bigger and bigger, and it turns bright orange!" (Gesture with hands to show growth)

"And guess what's inside the big, round pumpkin? More seeds! So the journey can start all over again! It's a never-ending circle!"

(Teacher displays The Pumpkin Patch Adventure Slide Deck - Slide 8)

"So, first, we have a seed, then a sprout and plant, then a flower, and finally, a big pumpkin with more seeds inside!"

Hands-On Activity: Life Cycle Sequence (15 minutes)

"Now it's your turn to be pumpkin scientists! I have some pictures of our pumpkin's journey. Your job is to work with your group to put them in the correct order, from the very beginning to the big pumpkin. Then you can glue them onto your paper!"

(Distribute Pumpkin Life Cycle Activity Cards, construction paper, glue, and markers to each group. Circulate and provide support.)

Guiding questions during activity:

• "What do we need to start a pumpkin?" (Seed)
• "After we plant the seed, what comes next? What does the seed do?" (Sprout/Plant)
• "Before the pumpkin grows, what pretty thing does the plant make?" (Flower)
• "And what's the very last stage we talked about? The big, round, orange..." (Pumpkin)
• "Are there seeds inside the pumpkin? What are they for?" (To start a new cycle)

Worksheet & Review (5 minutes)

"Excellent job, pumpkin scientists! Now, let's do a quick worksheet to show what you've learned."

(Hand out the Pumpkin Life Cycle Worksheet. Guide students through the questions, reading aloud and offering assistance as needed.)

"Let's quickly review the stages one more time: Seed, Sprout/Plant, Flower, Pumpkin! Great work!"

Cool-Down & Extensions (5 minutes)

"You all did such a wonderful job today learning about the pumpkin life cycle! What is one new thing you learned about pumpkins?"

(Allow a few students to share.)

"Where do you think we could go to see real pumpkins growing? Maybe a pumpkin patch or a farm! That would be a fun field trip to see them up close!"

"And what are some things we do with pumpkins once they are big and orange?"

(Carve them for Halloween, make pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds to eat, etc.)

"It's amazing how a tiny seed can turn into such a wonderful, big pumpkin! Give yourselves a round of applause for being such great learners!"

Pumpkin Life Cycle Worksheet

Name: ________________________
Date: _________________________

Part 1: Draw the Pumpkin's Journey!

Draw a picture for each step of the pumpkin life cycle.

1. Seed

2. Sprout/Plant

3. Flower

4. Pumpkin

Part 2: Circle the Best Answer!

1. What is the first stage of the pumpkin life cycle?
   a) Flower
   b) Seed
   c) Pumpkin
   
   
   
   

2. What grows after the seed is planted?
   a) A big pumpkin
   b) A tiny sprout/plant
   c) A yellow flower
   
   
   
   

3. What color are the pumpkin flowers?
   a) Red
   b) Blue
   c) Yellow
   
   
   
   

4. What is inside a big pumpkin that can start a new life cycle?
   a) Candy
   b) Seeds
   c) Leaves
   
   
   
   

Pumpkin Life Cycle Activity Cards

Instructions for Teacher: Print these cards and cut them out. Distribute one set per small group for students to arrange in the correct order on construction paper.

Card 1: Seed

![Image of a single pumpkin seed]

Word: SEED

Card 2: Sprout/Plant

![Image of a small pumpkin sprout growing from the ground, with small green leaves]

Word: SPROUT / PLANT

Card 3: Flower

![Image of a yellow pumpkin flower on a vine]

Word: FLOWER

Card 4: Pumpkin

![Image of a large, ripe orange pumpkin on a vine]

Word: PUMPKIN

Pumpkin Life Cycle Worksheet Answer Key

Part 1: Draw the Pumpkin's Journey!

(Student drawings will vary but should conceptually match the stage descriptions.)

1. Seed

(Expect a drawing of a small seed, perhaps brown or white.)

2. Sprout/Plant

(Expect a drawing of a small green plant, possibly with roots underground or a stem emerging from the soil.)

3. Flower

(Expect a drawing of a yellow flower, possibly on a vine.)

4. Pumpkin

(Expect a drawing of a large, round, orange pumpkin, possibly with a stem or vine.)

Part 2: Circle the Best Answer!

1. What is the first stage of the pumpkin life cycle?
   a) Flower
   b) Seed
   c) Pumpkin
   Thought Process: The life cycle begins with the smallest, initial component from which the plant grows.

2. What grows after the seed is planted?
   a) A big pumpkin
   b) A tiny sprout/plant
   c) A yellow flower
   Thought Process: After planting, the seed germinates and develops into a young plant before flowering or fruiting.

3. What color are the pumpkin flowers?
   a) Red
   b) Blue
   c) Yellow
   Thought Process: Pumpkin plants are known for their distinct yellow flowers.

4. What is inside a big pumpkin that can start a new life cycle?
   a) Candy
   b) Seeds
   c) Leaves
   Thought Process: Pumpkins contain seeds, which are then used to grow new pumpkins, completing the cycle.