Pumpkins EVERYWHERE! And Making Connections

We’re learning all about pumpkins this week and the kids couldn’t be more thrilled!!  I thought I’d share some of the fun we’re having incase you’re knee deep in pumpkin seeds, too!

We started the week activating & growing our pumpkin schema.  We read a few fun non-fiction pumpkin books, gathered new learning, and added our little fact seeds to our pumpkin chart.  Did you know that pumpkins are fruit?!  That was a “are-you-for-real?!?!” moment for the kids. 

 

We followed up our new learning with a little apples vs. pumpkins venn diagram.  We reinforced a few key vocabulary words {similar, contrast, compare, alike, different} & used that verbiage while we talked about both.  The kids did such a GREAT job recalling facts.  They even remembered a few things I had forgotten!  I love it when that happens!!

   

We followed up our little Venn Diagram activity with some very simple writing comparing both fruits.  The kids had to tell me one thing that pumpkins are/have/can do & then follow that up by writing Apples are/do/can not.    They even made these precious little layered scrapbook pumpkins!

 

For the pumpkins, just cut out a little pumpkin template {on orange construction paper}.  Cut strips out of lots of random orange{ish} scrapbook paper about 1-1/2 in. thick.  I showed the kids how to layer the paper {great opportunity for new vocabulary!} and then turn the pumpkin over and cut off all the *excess* paper.  They did pretty great!  And they look darling, too!!  A little writing & fine motor practice all wrapped up in a pretty little pumpkin package :)

 

Today we talked all about making connections.  We’ve been talking about text to self connections since the beginning of the year…and I make the kids give me a text to self/text to self connection after each book we read during our guided reading instruction…but today I wanted them to write about those connections, so we dug a little deeper.  I’m a visual person and I know kids are too, so I introduced our text to self anchor chart.

We talked all about making text to self connections and then gave several examples of what it sounds like.

  

You might remember this activity I posted about last year.  I read the book, “The Littlest Pumpkin” and had the kids write about why the littlest pumpkin felt disappointed and then make a text to self connection and write about a time they felt disappointed.  It’s much easier to articulate it than it is to write it down!  Especially at this time of the year!!!  All that to be said, I think my kids did a GREAT job….especially since they worked independently doing so!  They have made SO much progress since the beginning of the year!!  It’s definitely still a work in progress and will be for a LONG time, but they’re becoming better writers every.single.day!

 

And here’s what we’re working in for Poetry this week…

I made up this little ditty to help the kids remember how to spell pumpkin.  It’s all I hear now.  We kinda like to sing ;)

 

And I dug this little poem out of the old teaching files from years ago!  My kids LOVE it!

We’ve still got two days left in the week and LOTS more to learn!!  We’ll be finishing up our pumpkin fun with my little pumpkin investigations journal and a pumpkin tasting party on Friday!! 

We’ll also be doing this little descriptive words activity tomorrow.  This is one of my most favorite pumpkin activities!  I’ve been doing it every year since I started teaching 12 years ago! 

We’ll even vote on how we’ll carve our pumpkin…

We are SO excited!  Pumpkin fun for EVERYONE!