STEM Education Resources for Engaging Science Teaching
Pumpkin Life Cycle Craft, a Fall STEM Activity
Pumpkin Life Cycle Activities: Craft, Cut and Paste Worksheets and Google Slides
Life Cycles are a 3rd Grade NGSS standard, but are popular topics to teach in younger grades too. I have created resources that are ideal for 2nd and 3rd graders, but could be modified for younger or older students.
This is a perfect topic to cover in the Fall, when all the pumpkin and fall decorations are out, and before Halloween.
Before planning any teaching units, I always like to refer to the NGSS, so that I can focus on concepts, ideas and skills that students need to know and understand.
The Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectation for this topic is:
3-LS1-1. Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
The Science and Engineering Practice is: Develop models to describe phenomena.
The Cross Cutting Concept is Patterns of change can be used to make predictions.
The Disciplinary Core Idea is Reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles.
In more simple terms, when teaching about life cycles in 3rd grade, students should understand that all living things have life cycles, and that life cycles are repeating patterns of birth, growth, reproduction and death. Since life cycles are patterns, they can be predicted, and students should be able to create models to describe the life cycles of various animals and plants.
As with all the lessons on this website, please visit my STEM Voyage Teachers Pay Teachers Store for the full set of resources.
Next, I talk to the students about life cycles and that all living things have life cycles. We talk about the different stages of a life cycle, and I ask the students to identify the main parts.
Students understand that life cycles are repeating patterns of birth, growth, reproduction and death.
If life cycles are patterns, then we can predict what the next stage in a life cycle will be and create models of life cycles.
The Stages in the Life Cycle of a Pumpkin
Get into the details of each stage!
In the second lesson on the life cycle of a pumpkin I focus on teaching the students in more detail about each stage in the life cycle. I divide the life cycle into six stages: Pumpkin seed, pumpkin seedlings, pumpkin vine, pumpkin flower, green pumpkin and orange pumpkin.
As a class, I go through each of the stages in detail, either on a worksheet or Google Slide, and have students answer questions. By 3rd grade, most students are familiar with the basic life cycle of a plant, but I like to point out a number of things that students often forget. This overlaps with the function of the different parts of a plant, which is a 4th grade standard.
Firstly, that the seed contains food stores and an embryo plant, and that the food stores are use by the plant to grow, before it can start to make it's own food. The germination of a seed will only happen if the seed has the right conditions.
Secondly, the seedlings roots are used to absorb water and minerals from the soil, and anchor the plant in the ground. The shoot pushes up through the soil and grows leaves, so that the plant can start making it's own food using water, light and air.
Thirdly, I stress to the students that only flowers that have been pollinated can grow into fruits. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from flower to flower, and in the case of a pumpkin, from the male flower to the female flower. Once male pollen transfers to the female flower, and fertilization has occurred, then the ovary swells and a new pumpkin fruit and seeds will develop.
Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Cut and Paste Worksheet
Next, I would have the students complete a cut and paste activity where they create a model of the life cycle of a pumpkin. At this point, students have completed the 3-D NGSS for a Life Cycle, but I like to finish the topic with a fun craft!
Life Cycle of A Pumpkin Craft
Give the students an opportunity to be creative and scientific!
As a final activity, I like to give students the opportunity to create a pumpkin life cycle craft. Students create an adorable pumpkin craft and make a model of the life cycle of a pumpkin inside.
For this activity, you will need: cardstock 'front and back pumpkin', paper 'inside pumpkin', paper life cycle of a pumpkin, scissors, glue, orange and green tissue paper, stapler and optional googly eyes.
I chose to color the pumpkin with glue and tissue paper, but it could easily be completed by painting or coloring instead.
First, cut out the stages in the life cycle of a pumpkin, and the matching labels.
Next, arrange the pumpkin pictures and labels in the correct order, and glue to the inside of the pumpkin.
Finally add arrows to show the direction of the life cycle.
To make the front and back of the pumpkin, cut out the 'front of pumpkin' and 'back of pumpkin' on card.
Tear up small pieces of orange and green tissue paper, and glue them to the front and back of the pumpkin. Alternatively, you could use paint instead.
Once the front and back of the pumpkin are dry, glue the inside of the pumpkin paper to the inside of the 'back of the pumpkin.
Use some of the tissue paper to color the stem and the top part of the pumpkin.
Next, assemble the pumpkin, so that front opens like a book, with the life cycle inside.
Match up the front and back parts of the pumpkin and use a stapler to fasten it together.
Add googly eyes for fun!
I hope that your students enjoy making an adorable pumpkin life cycle craft. If you would like the full set of resources for this activity, please visit my STEM Voyage TPT Store
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