As part of our pumpkin unit, last Tuesday afternoon we dissected the class pumpkin that I got from our trip to the Laity Pumpkin Patch. I had a bulb / root that had come out of my garden when I was collecting leaves for our Elements of Art lesson a few weeks ago. So we began by talking about the ways that plants grow – bulbs or seeds. We talked about the similarities and differences between the two methods. While one is a bulb, and the other a seed, they both are planted in soil and begin by sending roots down into the earth. The jobs of the roots are to hold the plant securely in place and to suck up water to provide the plant with the means to make food. Once the plants are ‘grounded’ they send shoots up into the air from which the plants grow. We have spent a fair bit of time over the past two weeks discussing the process of photosynthesis – the way that plants use water, air, and sunlight to make their own food (glucose).
I had cut the lid off of the pumpkin and then let the students clean it out. Those students, who wanted to, formed a very productive assembly line which included: some students cleaning out the seeds and pulp; some washing the seeds; and others drying the seeds and putting them onto a cookie sheet. I baked these after school and left them for the students to have the next day.
The students had all tried the pumpkin pie that I brought into class the day after Thanksgiving so they were interested in seeing the part of the pumpkin that we eat.
Oh good, no excuses for Talia then when getting her to help carving her own pumpkin!