Pumpkin Investigation
Kindergarteners giggled together as their teacher Donna Dooley read "Pumpkin Town," a picture book about a town experiencing an accidental abundance of pumpkins.
The story danced in their imaginations as they walked out to Increase Miller Elementary’s side lawn and discovered that where there was only grass the week before was now dotted with little orange pumpkins!
The students were visiting the Increase Miller Elementary Pumpkin Patch—a harvest display set up by parents. There were enough pumpkins for each kindergartener to choose one.
When the children returned to their classrooms, it was time for some serious pumpkin investigations.
“We found out how many lines our pumpkins had and how tall they were,” said Jenn Noonan, one of the kindergarten teachers. Dooley’s students used cubes to measure the length of their pumpkins and links to measure the circumferences of their pumpkins. A big hit with all kindergarteners was discovering if the pumpkins would sink or float in water, related teacher Gretchen Morfea.
The fun didn't end there. Once the pumpkin patch treats went home, students shared pictures of the jack-o-lanterns they carved and pies they baked. It's very possible that some students put their pumpkins in the bathtub to do their own experiment!
Many thanks to the IMES PTO for organizing such a fun day for kindergarteners.