Elementary Pumpkin Themed Lessons and Unit Plans for October and Halloween
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Posted by Megan Sheakoski Oct 13, 2008 |
Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins! As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change color nothing is more fun to teach to primary school kids than pumpkin themed lessons.
Teachers can use the pumpkin theme to teach reading, writing, rhyming, math, and science lessons. Pumpkin lessons can be taught as a stand alone unit or in conjunction with Halloween. Use the following lesson ideas as part of your fall pumpkin themed unit.
Teach Writing Using Pumpkin Poems and Writing Prompts
- Use pumpkins as the basis for creative writing lessons by teaching students to write pumpkin poems and create a pumpkin poetry scrapbook. Students can also respond to pumpkin writing prompts in their journals or during Writer’s Workshop time.
- The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano [Sterling Publishing, 2001] is a story about a pumpkin that learns that being different is good. Use the pumpkin tale to teach students how to write rhyming couplet poems.
- Make pumpkin pie from scratch with your class to teach them how to use measuring tools, how to estimate, and fractions.
- Use Jerry Seinfeld’s comical story Halloween [Little, Brown, and Company, 2002] to teach elementary students about author’s purpose and main idea. Students can then write about a trick-or-treating experience and create a Halloween costume collage using candy and candy wrappers.
Now that your lessons are set, round up some pumpkins and let the learning begin!