Children will explore the essential question, “Just like The Ugly Pumpkin, how do our unique shapes and differences make us special?” Through dramatic play, discussion, and pumpkin art, they will connect the story to their own physical characteristics, feelings, likes, and experiences. Children will listen to classmates, use descriptive and expressive words, and collaborate to create a diverse pumpkin patch. They will display their artwork, identify other places art appears inside and outside school, and celebrate how differences strengthen their classroom community.
Learning goals
Students will explore the question, “Just like The Ugly Pumpkin, how do our unique shapes and differences make us special?” Through art and guided dramatic play, students will describe their physical characteristics, preferences, and emotions while connecting personal experiences to the story. Students will use descriptive and expressive words to create and present a unique symmetrical pumpkin, listen to classmates, and identify similarities and differences respectfully. Students will collaborate on a classroom pumpkin-patch display and identify other places where art is displayed inside and outside school.
Standards
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Pr10.PK.a - With prompting and support, identify similarities between a story and personal experience in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Pr6.1.PKa - Identify where art is displayed both inside and outside of school.
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cn10.1.PKa - Explore the world using descriptive and expressive words and art-making.
[Head Start] P-SE.9a - (36 to 48 Months) Describes own physical characteristics and behaviors and indicates likes and dislikes when asked.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Pr7.PK.a - With prompting and support, recall an emotional response in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).
Competencies
Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
Products
Each child will create a symmetrical pumpkin portrait with unique colors, shapes, textures, and bumps, plus a teacher-recorded statement about a personal characteristic, behavior, like, or dislike. Students will make a short guided drama showing how the pumpkin’s feelings connect to a time they felt different, special, or included. As a class, students will arrange their pumpkins into a collaborative “Unique Pumpkin Patch” displayed inside or outside the school and share how their differences answer, “Just like The Ugly Pumpkin, how do our unique shapes and differences make us special?”
Launch
Reveal a basket of differently shaped pumpkins and invite children to notice, describe, and gently act out each pumpkin’s shape and possible feelings. Read The Ugly Pumpkin aloud, pausing for children to connect the character’s experiences and emotions to times they felt different, welcomed, or proud. Ask, “Just like The Ugly Pumpkin, how do our unique shapes and differences make us special?” End with a classroom “pumpkin patch walk” to identify places inside or outside the school where their future artwork could be displayed.
Exhibition
Create a “Unique Pumpkin Patch” gallery in a school hallway or other shared space chosen by the class. Each child displays their symmetrical pumpkin and shares one physical characteristic, like, skill, or behavior that makes them special. In small groups, children reenact a moment from The Ugly Pumpkin and name how the character’s feelings connect to their own experiences. Invite families or another class to visit, listen, and respond to the question, “Just like The Ugly Pumpkin, how do our unique shapes and differences make us special?”
