Integrated Thematic Unit: Pumpkins

1st Grade

Elizabeth Martin
EDUC 539
Professor Giampietro
 Curricular Aim
This thematic unit on pumpkins will enrich 1st grade students
through cross-curricular activities in Science, English Language
Arts, Social Studies, Math and the Expressive Arts. Students will
engage in higher order thinking skills that will help them to
construct new knowledge about pumpkins as they grow
cognitively, socially, emotionally and creatively.

Unit Timeframe: 1 week

Unit Scheduling: mid-October
 Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System (SAS)
Science
• Standard 3.1.1.A1 - Categorize living and nonliving things by external characteristics.
• Standard 3.1.1.A5 - Identify and describe plant parts and their function.
• Standard 3.1.1.A9 - Distinguish between scientific fact and opinion.

Math
• Standard CC.2.1.1.B.1 - Extend the counting sequence to read and write numerals to represent objects.
• Standard CC.2.1.1.B.2 - Use place value concepts to represent amounts of tens and ones and to compare two digit
numbers.
• Standard CC.2.4.1.A.1 - Order lengths and measure them both indirectly and by repeating length units.
• Standard CC.2.4.1.A.4 - Represent and interpret data using tables/charts
• Standard CC.2.3.1.A.1 - Compose and distinguish between two- and three-dimensional shapes based on their
attributes.

English Language Arts

• Standard CC.1.1.1.E - Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
• Standard CC.1.2.1.A - Identify the main idea and retell key details of text.
• Standard CC.1.4.1.B - Identify and write about one specific topic.
• Standard CC.1.4.1.C - Develop the topic with two or more facts.
Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System (SAS) Con’t
English Language Arts (Con’t)
• Standard CC.1.4.1.G - Write opinion pieces on familiar topics.
• Standard CC.1.4.1.H - Form an opinion by choosing among given topics.
• Standard CC.1.4.1.I - Support the opinion with reasons related to the opinion.
• Standard CC.1.4.1.L - Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
• Standard CC.1.5.1.B - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is
not understood.

Arts and Humanities

• Standard 9.1.M.1.A1 - Know and use basic elements and principles of music and movement.
• Standard -9.1.M.1.J1 - Use a variety of technologies for producing or performing works of art.
• Standard 9.1.D.1.E1 - Use imagination and creativity to express self through dramatic play.
• Standard 9.1.V.1.A1 - Know and use basic elements of visual arts.
• Standard 9.1.V.1.B1 - Create works of art and identify art materials, techniques, and processes.
• Standard 9.1.V.1.E1 - Use imagination and creativity to express self through visual arts.

Social Studies
• Standard 5.1.1.C - Define equality and the need to treat everyone equally.
 Objectives and Goals
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
• Define characteristics of a pumpkin (inside and outside);
• Learn and sing a pumpkin song; use movement to accompany singing;
• Define a pumpkin life cycle;
• Use visual arts to recreate the pumpkin lifecycle;
• Incorporate dramatic arts to collaboratively recreate the pumpkin lifecycle in small groups for the class;
• Use nonstandard units of measure and observation to define characteristics of the pumpkin;
• Form hypotheses comparing My Pumpkin and Class Pumpkin - which will have more seeds inside?;
• Sort and count pumpkin seeds by 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s;
• Add 2-digit numbers together using ten frames and a number grid;
• Define elements of an opinion and common words that can be used to portray opinions;
• Produce opinion writing;
• Use the visual arts to complement their opinion writing piece;
• Explain how differences and similarities make us unique so everyone should be treated equally;
• Use visual arts and creative wrtiting to reinforce equality theme;
• Identify and classify two-dimensional shapes and their attributes.
•
Supplies and Materials
Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson
• How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin? By Margaret McNamara
• My Perfect Pumpkin Pick poem
• Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano
• You Tube instrumental music The Pumpkin Song Instrumental
• Pumpkin lifecycle feltboard (bottom)
• Construction paper, various pumpkin seeds, ribbon strips, fabric flowers, paper scraps
• Pumpkin lifecycle worksheet (1/student) (Visual Arts slide)
• Copies of Pumpkins performing art piece (1/student) (Performing Arts slide)
• Pumpkin Investigation anchor chart (right)
• Classroom objects (string, unit cubes, markers, balance scale)
• 2 different pumpkins
• stamps, crayons, markers, ink dabbers
• Blank counting sheets – student may count by 1s, 2s, 5s, or 10s (1/student)
• Blank pumpkin 10-frame sheets (1/student) (right)
• Lined writing paper and pencils
• 11x17” brown construction paper
• Ink dabbers, pencils, markers, scraps of paper, small assorted stamps
• Halved apples, pears, potatoes
• Tempera paint and paintbrushes; paper
• “Spookley” pumpkin trio pages (1 per 3 students) (Visual Arts slide)
• Water colors
• Sentence strips with lines
• Laminated Spookley game and shape cards (1/table) (right)
 Unit Overview
Day 1: Read Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson. Describe a pumpkin using the Our Pumpkin anchor chart and
discuss physical outside characteristics. Sing the Pumpkin Song and incorporate movement showing outer characteristics of a pumpkin.
Discuss pumpkin lifecycle using felt board. Use visual and performing arts to show understanding of the pumpkin lifecycle.

Day 2: Read How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin? By Margaret McNamara; Show chart with “My Pumpkin” already having seeds counted. We
will be investigating if our “Class Pumpkin” has fewer or more seeds than “My Pumpkin”. Have volunteers suggest ways to compare the two
pumpkins given some classroom objects (string, unit cubes, markers, balance scale, etc); Note measurements. Have class form two
hypotheses for comparison; Cut open the pumpkin and each table will get a scoop of seeds to count by 10s, 5s 2s, or 1s. They can use a
counting sheet, shown in the materials slide. After all members have counted their portion, the group will add them together and fill in 10-
frames to show the number of seeds their group counted. Add all numbers to get the total number of seeds in Class Pumpkin and compare
to My pumpkin. Discuss conclusions about why a certain pumpkin had more seeds. Populate the Our Pumpkin anchor chart in another
color with observed characteristics of the inside of a pumpkin. Sing the Pumpkin Song again using inner characteristics of a pumpkin.

Day 3: Read My Perfect Pumpkin Pick poem. Discuss characteristics of an opinion with words from the poem. As a group, brainstorm
some fact and opinion statements about pumpkins and add to the Pumpkin Fact and Opinion anchor chart. Students will write an opinion
writing piece entitled Pick Me! or Don’t Pick Me! This will be the DRAFT day.

Day 4: Continue opinion writing piece. A final copy will be written once draft is finished. Students will use the visual arts to
complement their writing.

Day 5: Read Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano. Use an anchor chart to characterize what Spookley is like on the outside and
the inside, just like our real pumpkins we have studied! Have students work in groups to use visual arts and creative writing to show their
understanding of the equality theme. When finished, each group is given a laminated copy of the Spookly shapes game; they can play in
groups of three to practice their shape recognition.
 Visual Arts
• On Day 1, after reading Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson and using the felt board to discuss
the phases in a pumpkin lifecycle, students will make life cycle hats to wear. They will use supplies such as pumpkin
seeds, fabric leaves, ribbon strips, tissue paper and paper with punches to create a representation of each stage. When
complete, they will cut out each shape and glue in order onto the paper strip. It is stapled to fit their head.

• On Day 2, students will creatively use an art technique of their choosing to populate their ten-frames after counting
pumpkin seeds in their group. Students may choose to use crayons, markers, ink dabbers, or small stamps to represent
their # of seeds in a ten frame. They may creatively fill their ten frames with icons of choice, but must reinforce the
mathematical concept that each box in a ten frame has one icon only, they must use the same icon repeatedly to show
that they represent the same object (seeds) and all ten boxes are filled in before moving to the next ten frame.

• On Day 4, students will use tempera paint and halved apples, pears and potatoes of different shapes to create a picture
of unique pumpkins to decorate the space above their opinion writing. They can use paintbrushes to add stems and
leaves. They will also make a unique creative border around the 11x17” paper that will mount their opinion writing and
pumpkin artwork. This could be hand-drawn, stamped from dabbers, or made from paper scraps or shapes. It should
form a frame around the entire mounted page and be creative with pattern, color and theme related to the unit.

• On Day 5, students will be shown the process of using watercolor paints, including using minimal water, not mixing
colors and painting light colors first. They will then work collaboratively in groups of three to create a trio of “Spookley”
pumpkins. Each will be unique and reminiscent of that student’s personality.
 Music/Dance
• On Day 1, students are introduced to The Pumpkin Song (to the tune of Have you
Ever Seen a Lassie?). The teacher will model how the song goes line by line and the
children can repeat it to learn it.

• The following You Tube instrumental version of Lassie can be played over the
SmartBoard with the screen minimized so only the music is heard. It is an upbeat
version that repeats several times. The Pumpkin Song Instrumental

• As a class, we will pick out some characteristics of a pumpkin from our anchor chart
to insert into the blanks before the music plays. Children will echo the teacher as
she reads through the song and emphasizes the newly inserted words. When they
have been successfully scaffolded, the music can be started.

• Children are encouraged to stand, sing along and move to the movement of the
music. They should be in control of their own bodies and concentrating on the
words and beat of the music. Can they try to demonstrate our pumpkin
characteristics using their bodies when we come to those words?

• When the music is over, new words can be inserted in the blanks. Who has a dance
movement to share with the class that helps to demonstrate a pumpkin
characteristic?

• This activity will be repeated on Day 2, using inner characteristics of a pumpkin,

once they have been defined (defined in brown on the anchor chart).
 Performing Arts
• On Day 1, the students are divided into groups of 4 and are given copies of the Pumpkins reading
below. The version they receive has lines highlighted to distinguish four distinct parts.

• They draw a popsicle stick with a colored dot on the bottom end from a jar and that is their part
for the performance.

• As a group, they rehearse their lines together and gain confidence in reading their parts.

• Each group gets an opportunity to select various props to use that complement their part. These
props include plush pumpkins, flowers and plants; felt vines; seed packets; watering cans; garden
shovels; plush suns and sun props on popsicle sticks, silk fall leaves, etc.

• Each group gets a chance to present their version of the

pumpkin life cycle for the class.

• While students work on decoding words and reading with

fluency and prosody, they are also working on incorporating
dramatic arts in order to enhance their literacy and to bring
additional meaning and interpretation to their reading.
 Creative Writing
• On Day 3, the class will read My Perfect Pumpkin Pick poem, noting opinion
words such as “best” in the text. Whole group discussion on fact vs. opinion
follows and these are noted on the Fact and Opinion anchor chart.

• Writing with an opinion is introduced and interesting ways of starting and

concluding a piece of writing are discussed, such as using questions. Good
opinion words are also noted such as I think, In my opinion, You will agree
that; as well as transition words such as First, Next, Last etc.

• Students will write an opinion piece about whether or not a pumpkin should
be picked: Pick Me! Or Don’t Pick Me! Creatively, they will open, show 2-3
supporting reasons and have a concluding sentence, demonstrating their
opinion on the topic.

• Creative writing will continue into Day 4, so that students have the chance to
organize, draft and write a final copy of their opinion writing piece.

• On Day 4, students read Spookley the Square Pumpkin and discuss outer and
inner characteristics in a fictional character. This is directly comparative to
the outer and inner characteristics of real-life pumpkins done earlier this
week. After integrating visual arts to create a collaborative watercolor picture
of three “Spookley” pumpkins, students will work in their group of 3 to
creatively caption their art. They will use the sentence “We have different
________________ and ________________but we have the same
_____________ inside.”
•
Motivation
Students will be introduced to the unit on Day 1 by seeing the pumpkins to be used throughout the week with
taped-on facial features on a table. They will be sourrounded by stand-up copies of the books to be read for
the week. The pumpkin life cycle felt board will be on the display and the pumpkin anchor chart will be up
front. Students will have heightened interest about what we will do with everything!

• Students will be motivated through engaging and relevant literature each day, followed by
relevant activities that integrate content matter and the expressive arts while appealing to the
Multiple Intelligences.

• The teacher will scaffold learning of the musical Pumpkin Song activity by doing it along with
students until they are able to sing it alone. Prompts to dance like a “round pumpkin” or
“small pumpkin” are given during the music to encourage movement. Students are invited to
be “the teacher” during the Pumpkin Song if they have a dance movement that they would
like to show the class.

• Students are broken into a group size that is most manageable for the activity.

• Students are given classroom jobs when obtaining art supplies for the table and collecting
finished work.

• Volunteers to come up to measure

the Class Pumpkin, to demonstrate
their dance moves in The Pumpkin
Song and to share finished art with
the class, allow students to watch or
participate as comfortable. It also
lets students have pride in their own
work and gain appreciation for each
other’s art.
•
Instructional Strategies
A KWL Chart will be used to find out what students already Know prior to the lesson and what they Want to Know. After
the lesson, students will be assessed on what they Learned and will then populate the class KWL chart together. This will
help to activate prior knowledge and give some inquiry-based questions to explore.
• Developmentally appropriate activities are planned for 1st grade students, introducing them to a wide range of artistic,
scientific and exploratory activities that are appropriate for Piaget’s Preoperational and early Concrete Operational Stages.
• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences are appealed to through a rich array of activities:
• Bodily/Kinesthetic – Pumpkin Song and dance, Pumpkin seed counting, performing arts props and presentation.
• Interpersonal – group work at tables adding individual seed counts together and in small groups painting “Spookley”
and playing the Spookley game.
• Intrapersonal – independent work counting seeds and creative writing and art activities.
• Linguistic – Creative writing
• Logical/mathematical – Measuring of the Class Pumpkin, seed counting, Spookley game, charting
• Musical – The Pumpkin song and dance, seasonal music playing quietly in the background as they do art.
• Naturalist – exploration of the outside and inside of a living thing (pumpkin) and how it grows.
• Spatial – Visual and 3D art
• Guided Imagery is used for a few minutes before the Pumpkin Song is played to have students calm themselves, close their
eyes and to imagine themselves as a pumpkin so that they are ready to dance.
• Scaffolded instruction is used to support student learning as they engage in inquiry and use prior knowledge in order to conceptualize
new knowledge.

• Parent communication home at the end of the week telling them how to engage
their child in communication about their pumpkin learning!
• ELL learning is enhanced through a highly visual and hands-on unit and teacher
modelling. Students are placed with a peer who can support L1 usage as needed.

• Special Education students have accommodations made, as needed. A universally-

designed classroom environment includes visual and auditory components and
allows for individual, team work or guided-support at all levels, if needed.
•
Assessment and Evaluation
Formative assessments throughout the week will be done to gauge student learning.
• Teacher observation of performing arts Life Cycle presentation
• Teacher observation of seed counting and how seeds are grouped (1s, 2s, 5s, 10s)
• Teacher observation of opinion writing piece process/organization of thoughts
• Teacher observation of group “Spookley” writing prompt and shape game, which will show they understand
the theme of Spookley and knowledge of their 2-D shapes.
• Teacher observation of visual arts activities, noting if the life cycle is sequenced correctly when making the
hats and how they apply learning via expressive arts throughout the week.
• Checklist for student participation in weekly activities.

• Opinion writing piece will be graded using a rubric (next slide)

• Pictures from student artwork and participation in drama and musical activities will be taken for inclusion in the
student’ developmental portfolio for the year. Parents can be included in this process through the use of
technology such as the SeeSaw app, where student learning can be shared via photos and videos.

• A summative assessment can be included at the end of the week by giving students the pumpkin worksheet (below)
and asking them to fill it out with things they have learned about pumpkins this week, independently at their seats.
Once collected, the teacher can have volunteers name some things that they learned about pumpkins and the
classroom KWL anchor chart can be populated. Teacher will evaluate how many of the eight circles that students
can populate with newly conceptualized information from the week.
 Writing Rubric
Excellent Good Needs
Improvement
Student included an opening
sentence that grabbed the
3 2 1
reader’s attention.
Student developed at least 2
supporting sentences.
3 2 1
Student included a concluding
sentence that brought the
3 2 1
writing piece to closure.
Student produced an opinion
writing piece that followed
3 2 1
the writing prompt Pick Me!
Or Don’t Pick Me!, supporting
only one side of the issue.
Student followed the
conventions of grammar,
3 2 1
spelling, and capitalization for
a 1st grade student.

Completion of Expressive
Arts Activities
Overall Unit Rubric
Excellent (3)
All expressive arts activities
were completed per instruction
and learning was applied to the
final product. Time was used
effectively and directions were
listened to and followed.
Good (2)
Some expressive arts activities
were completed per instruction
and learning was applied to the
final product. Improvement
could be made to time
management or listening skills.
Needs Improvement
(1)
Student made minimal effort to
complete the expressive arts
activities or did not complete
them at all.

Participation in Expressive
Arts activities and overall
unit
Student fully participated in all
unit activities, including
expressive arts, group
discussions and science
inquiries.
Student mostly participated in Student did not participate in
most of the unit activities, the unit activities, or
including expressive arts, group participation was very minimal.
discussions and science
inquiries. Improvement could
be made to fully participate in
all learning areas.

Effort Student exhibits enthusiasm
and initiative to complete the
visual arts, performance,
music/dance and creative
writing activities.
Groupwork Student is cooperative and able
work effectively with peers.
Compromise and discussion is
used to work out differences.
Student mostly exhibits
enthusiasm and initiative to
complete the visual arts,
performance, music/dance and
creative writing activities.
Student is mostly cooperative
and able work effectively with
peers. Compromise and
discussion is used to work out
differences, although student
may exhibit some frustration.
Student is lacking in motivation
and initiative to complete the
expressive arts activities.
Frequent reminders are needed
to stay on task.
Student refuses to work with
peers or is not willing to
compromise or cooperate in an
effort to get groupwork done.
Student exhibits frustration or
anger.
 Self-Reflection

I have not used this thematic unit with a class yet, but by including engaging activities that use the expressive
arts and inquiry scientific techniques to elicit student knowledge and interest, I hope that it will pique further
curiosity in pumpkins. I would like to do this unit during the Fall when pumpkins are in season so that students
can further explore pumpkins outside of school and during the fall holiday season.

This is a thematic unit that integrates Math, English Language Arts, Science and Social Studies content areas, the
expressive arts, technology, and appeals to multiple intelligences with developmentally appropriate, engaging
activities. Students perform work individually, as a class and in small groups to vary learning experiences.
Through including a wide range of formal and informal assessments; eliciting parental involvement in learning via
See Saw and end of the week communication; and through driving the lesson to be student-led via inquiry, it is a
unit that could appeal to all types of student learners. It contextualizes student experiences and helps to
conceptualize new knowledge schemas. In my own self-reflection of this written unit, I feel confident that I have
created a week of lessons that will be engaging to teach and learn.
 References
• Have You Ever Seen a Lassie? Instrumental Version (2010). Retrieved on August 12, 2017 at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoFWszkcIaM

• Clip art, Microsoft PowerPoint.

• Sample lesson activities, Pinterest.com

• My Perfect Pumpkin Pick (2012). Retrieved on August 12, 2017 at Teachers Pay Teachers.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-My-Perfect-Pumpkin-Pick-A-Seasonal-Poem-for-
Fall-339732

• Levensen, George. Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden (1999). Triangle Press, Berkeley, CA.

• McNamara, Margaret. How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin? (2007). Schwartz and Wade Books, New York, NY.

• Troiano, Joe. The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2001). Backpack Books, New York, NY.