Students investigate how a pumpkin changes during its life cycle by observing mystery-table samples, seeds, images, and pumpkin parts with support from local farm staff. They compare pumpkin stories and informational illustrations, explore related vocabulary, and draw, dictate, and orally describe what happens first, next, and last while reflecting on each observation. Students build a shared life-cycle mural, explain their contributions, and use teacher and peer feedback to add missing stages and clarify their pictures and explanations. They present the revised mural during a gallery walk for families, farm partners, and another class.

Students will observe real pumpkin parts, seeds, photos, and growth stages with local farm staff and ask questions about how a pumpkin changes. They will use story comparisons, informational illustrations, life-cycle vocabulary, and first-next-last language to describe and sequence the pumpkin life cycle through pictures, dictation, writing, and oral sentences. Students will reflect after observations, explain their mural contributions to others, and use teacher and peer feedback to add missing stages and clarify their ideas. They will present the revised class mural and oral explanations to families, farm staff, and another class during the Pumpkin Life Cycle Celebration Showcase.

Students will create observation drawings and dictated reflections about what they learned and felt while examining pumpkin samples, pictures, seeds, and farm-partner materials. They will compare familiar pumpkin stories and connect illustrations to words while making picture-and-word cards for seed, sprout, vine, flower, green pumpkin, and ripe pumpkin. Each student will contribute a stage picture and oral first-next-last explanation to a shared pumpkin life-cycle timeline that answers, “How does a pumpkin change during its life cycle?” After teacher and peer feedback, students will revise missing stages, unclear pictures, or explanations. The finished mural and oral explanations will be presented to families, local pumpkin patch staff, and another class during the Pumpkin Life Cycle Celebration Showcase.

Set up a Pumpkin Mystery Table with whole pumpkins, safe pumpkin parts, seeds, and photos of growth stages provided by a local farm partner. In small groups, students rotate through stations, look closely, gently touch samples, and describe what they notice using words such as seed, sprout, vine, flower, and pumpkin. Students share questions about how a pumpkin changes, then help arrange photo cards into a possible first-next-last sequence. Close by introducing “How does a pumpkin change during its life cycle?” and having each child draw or dictate one new learning and one feeling from the exploration.

Host a Pumpkin Life Cycle Celebration Showcase for families, local pumpkin patch staff, and another class. Display the shared mural as a gallery walk, with students taking turns using its pictures to explain what happens first, next, and last in a pumpkin’s life cycle. Visitors can ask simple questions and leave picture or dictated notes about what they learned, and students can close by sharing a favorite discovery or feeling from the project.