Kelly Davies

Project #7
Integrated Unit

Pumpkins!

Integrated Preschool Unit

By Kelly Davies

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 Kelly Davies
Project #7
Integrated Unit
Table of Contents:

Introduction...3

Goals and Vision..4

Topic/Concept Web..5

Daily Schedule...6

Two-Week Schedule.7-9

Learning Environment Design.10-12

Lesson Plans13-31

Parent Involvement Extensions..32

Interactive Bulletin Board Design..33

Professional Resources List...34

Student Resources List.35

Topic Box Explanation..36

Reflection..37

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Introduction:
This integrated unit is intended for a preschool classroom of 20 children ages
three to five years old. The children are in school for the full day. The school setting
is a private school, with grades preschool to 5th grade. The theme of the integrated
unit is pumpkins and will last two weeks. This project is important because as
teachers we are going to have to be thinking of how to create units throughout our
whole career. We will have to plan and web out the topic, decide if it is
developmentally appropriate and not too general or specific, and create activities
for each and every day of the week. These activities have to meet the benchmarks
and be appropriate and worthwhile for the students. They have to be at their level
and something that they can accomplish successfully, even if they may need a little
bit of help.
The integrated unit is valuable for learners because it includes a huge variety
of activities that appeal to all different kinds of learners. The majority of the
activities are hands-on, providing an engaging learning experience that the students
will want to be a part of. It fits in the bigger picture if addressing the needs of the
whole child by providing them the learning experiences that they may not have
without school. Going on field site visits, learning about pumpkins and meeting
people that know all about pumpkins. They will be planting and growing their own
pumpkin plants that they can take home and plant in their yards at home. The
activities that include the parents will help the children to feel more at home and
like they have more one-on-one attention of an adult. The students will also get to
experience baking bread, something they might not have the opportunity to have
done at home before.
This integrated unit includes the goals and vision for the project, a
breakdown of the planning that went into the topic, and a daily schedule of the
classroom. It includes the plans for the two weeks of the activities that will be
happening in the classroom, and how these plans effect and change the learning
environment design and the learning centers too. There are 10 lesson plans, picked
out from the multiple activities for each day. There is a breakdown of what the
parents will be involved in throughout the week, as well as what will be on the
bulletin boards and displayed in the classroom. Finally, there are resources, an
explanation of the items in the topic box, and finally a reflection of the entire project.

Essential questions:
What are the parts of a pumpkin?
What are the physical features of a pumpkin?
What can they be used for?
What kind of food can be made with pumpkins?
Where do pumpkins grow?
What are the stages of a pumpkins life cycle?
What are the different kinds of pumpkins?

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Goals and Vision:
The general purpose of this unit is to educate students on pumpkins, the life
cycle of them and how they grow, and what they can be used for, especially food.
The unit is useful for teaching the children the different parts of pumpkins, how to
notice and compare the physical attributes, and learn where they grow.
The goals that should be met and achieved by the end of this unit are for
children to:
Have a better understanding of how a plant grows throughout the different
cycles and name the specific stages of a pumpkins growth.
Understand the practical uses of pumpkins.
Know and be able to identify the different parts of a pumpkin.
Know where and when pumpkins grow.
Identify and describe the physical features of a pumpkin.
Name some kinds of food that can be made with pumpkins.
Identify some of the different types and kinds of pumpkins.

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Topic/Concept Web:

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Integrated Unit
Daily Schedule:

8:30-8:45 School Begins/Arrival

Put things away, put home folder in the basket, and sign in.

8:30-9:00 Breakfast/Independent Reading/Rug Toys

9:00-9:15 Morning Meeting/Circle Time

9:15-10:00 Shared Reading/Other Activities

10:00-11:00 Learning Centers

11:00-11:15 Clean Up/Get Coats On

11:15-12:00 Outdoor Play Time/Music and Movement

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:00 Rest/Quiet Time

2:00-2:15 Story Time

2:15-2:30 Snack

2:30-3:15 Learning Centers or Group Activity

3:15-3:30 Clean Up/Pack Up Backpacks for Parent Pick-Up & Bus Dismissal

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Overall 2-week Schedule:

Monday:

Story introducing pumpkins (shared reading)

KWL chart

Web about pumpkins

Sequence the life cycle of a pumpkin

Plant pumpkin seeds

Tuesday:

Shared reading

Create the word wall that will be added to all week

Observational drawing of pumpkins

Come up with jobs for field site visit and interview questions the expert

Wednesday:

Pumpkin farm visit

Recap

Thursday:

Shared reading

Classroom visit from an expert

Interview the expert

Observational drawing

Journal

Label and identify the parts of a pumpkin

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Friday:

Mini pumpkin printing

Observational drawing of plants

Create the pumpkin farm dramatic play center and model how to use it

Monday:

Shared reading

Read a recipe

Float or sink experiment

Tuesday:

Weigh and compare each students pumpkin from the farm on a chart

Measure and compare on the chart

Measure ingredients

Make dough for pumpkin bread

Bake pumpkin bread

Wednesday:

Shared reading

Observe plant growth and draw

Taste test the pumpkin bread

Thursday:

Shared reading

Paint faces on the pumpkins

Story writing

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Count pumpkin seeds

Friday:

Shared reading

Roast pumpkin seeds

Create class book of each students pumpkin

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Learning Environment Design:

1. Family Living: Pumpkin Farm and Pumpkin Patch

a. Pumpkins

b. Gourds

c. Cash register

d. Garden tools

e. Gardening gloves

f. Overalls/work boots

2. Blocks

a. Mini pumpkins

b. Orange blocks

c. Materials to create a pumpkin patch

3. Sensory Table

a. Pumpkin seeds

b. Pumpkin insides

c. Whole pumpkins

d. Different sized pumpkins

e. Dough for pumpkin bread

f. Dirt

4. Art

a. Measuring cups

b. Pumpkin seeds

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c. Pumpkin plants to paint/draw

d. Pumpkin carving tools

e. Whole mini pumpkins

f. Halves of mini pumpkins

5. Easel

a. Pumpkin plants to paint/draw

6. Table Toys

a. Measuring cups and spoons

b. Cooking tools: mixers, spatulas, pans

c. Pumpkin scooper

d. Pumpkin carving tools (not sharp!)

7. Discovery

a. Pumpkin plants

b. Dirt

c. Whole pumpkins (big and small)

d. Measurement tape

e. Scale

f. Nonfiction pumpkin books

g. Pumpkin recipes

h. Ingredients for pumpkin recipes

i. Candy corn pumpkins

Shared Reading & Writing

The Seed Song by Judy Saksie

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Its Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall

Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins by Dianne Ochiltree

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum

Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson

Pumpkins by Ken Robbins

Pumpkins by Erika L. Shores

Recipes for pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread

Pumpkin poetry

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Lesson Plans:

Central Focus: Topic web about pumpkins in the whole-class setting of 18

preschoolers, ages 3-5.

IELDS:
1.C.ECa Describe familiar people, places, things, and events, and, with
teacher assistance, provide additional detail.

1.E.ECb Exhibit curiosity and interest in learning new words heard in

conversations and books.

Learning Objectives:
Students will communicate their interests in the topic.
Students will identify what about a pumpkin is necessary to know.
Students will ask questions about the topic.

Vocabulary:
Pumpkin
Life cycle
Carving
Parts
Seed

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will have the The children will gather on the
students sitting on the rug by the rug for a whole group activity.
whiteboard. The children will listen and
The teacher will read the book Its participate in the shared reading
Pumpkin Time! of Its Pumpkin Time!
The teacher will create a topic The students will come up with
web, with pumpkins in the ideas about pumpkins and share
center circle. them with the teacher and the
The teacher will ask the children class.
to identify important facts about The students will think back to
pumpkins that they know. what they remember about
The teacher will web out the pumpkins.
ideas of the children in different The students will recall
bubbles of the web. information to retell parts of the
Once there is one topic webbed, story to add to the web.
the teacher will ask the students
to fill in the details of this idea.
The teacher asks the children to

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come up with things or aspects
that they may not know about
pumpkins.
The teacher asks the children to
recall what they learned from the
book about pumpkins.

Resources & Materials:

Its Pumpkin Time! big book
Large group area on a rug
Whiteboard, chalkboard, or flip chart paper

Assessment Strategies:
Developmental checklist
Work sampling with photographs when completed

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Central Focus: Sequence the life cycle of a pumpkin in small groups.

IELDS:
12.A.ECb Show an awareness of changes that occur in oneself and the
environment.
12.C.ECa Identify, describe, and compare the physical properties of objects.

3.A.ECb With teacher assistance, retell detail(s) about main topic in a

nonfiction book.

Learning Objectives:
Students will identify the different stages in the life cycle of a pumpkin.
Students will describe each stage of a pumpkins life cycle through comparing
and identifying.

Vocabulary:
Seed
Sprout
Plant
Vine
Flower
Unripe
Ripe

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will reintroduce the The students will respond, and
students to pumpkins, and ask if come up with ideas to share
the children know how they verbally about how pumpkins
grow. grow.
The teacher will show the The students will observe the real
students a real pumpkin, and pumpkin, noticing the stem and
point out the stem, explaining how it is part of a vine, in which
that it is part of the vine the the pumpkin grew on.
pumpkin grew on.
Tell the children that pumpkins The students will verbally share
grow on vines, and ask them to ideas of what would happen if big
imagine what would happen if big heavy pumpkins grew on trees.
pumpkins grew on trees.
Hand out pumpkin seeds to the The students will plant their
children. seeds in the pots, making a finger-
In small groups, allow the sized hole, covering it back up
children to plant their seed in a with soil, and watering the soil a
little pot with soil. little bit.

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Show the children the pictures of The students will observe the
each part of the life cycle of pictures of each life cycle step,
pumpkins, and explain them. noticing the physical properties.
Show a video that details the The students will watch the video.
pumpkin life cycle on the
SmartBoard.
Have the students participate in a The students will gather in
SmartBoard activity where they groups and work on the
sequence the correct order of the SmartBoard in ordering the
life cycle progression in small different steps in the life cycle of a
groups. pumpkin.

Resources & Materials:

Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkins
Pumpkin plants
Pots
Soil
Pumpkin life cycle video
SmartBoard
SmartBoard game of sequencing
Water
Big pictures showing the different stages of growth
Drawing paper
Crayons
Markers
Panse, S. (2015, September 11). Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Lesson Plan for
Preschool: From Seed to Pumpkin. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/48882-
pumpkin-life-cycle-how-a-pumpkin-grows/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-GwFHQZI8

Assessment Strategies:
Observational records
Checklist
Pictures for documentation

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Central Focus: Observational drawing of pumpkins in a small-group setting of
about 4 preschoolers.

IELDS:
25.A.ECd Investigate and participate in activities using visual arts materials.
26.B.ECa Use creative arts as an avenue for self-expression.

Learning Objectives:
Students will create visual representations of pumpkins.
Students will show their creativity by creating a unique drawing using art
materials.

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will divide the The children gather at the art
children into a small group in the table for their small group
art center. activity.
The teacher will reintroduce The children listen and look at the
pumpkins by pointing out the pumpkin sitting on the table.
physical pumpkins on the art
table. The children look at the art
The teacher will introduce materials and supplies that they
observational drawing and show can use.
the students all of the materials
they can use. The children begin to paint, draw,
The teacher lets the children and sketch their pumpkins,
create their own pictures of referring back to the pumpkins in
pumpkins. the middle of the table.
The teacher encourages the
children to notice each others The children comment on and
creations and enjoy the artwork respond to the work of others.
they are creating.

Resources & Materials:

Pumpkins of different sizes and shapes
Paint
Markers
Crayons
Colored pencils
Paintbrushes
Paper
Smocks
Scissors

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Assessment Strategies:
Anecdotal/observational notes
Work sampling through photographs as the children work, and when they
are completed

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Central Focus: Journaling about the field site visit in a small-group setting of 5
preschoolers.

IELDS:
5.B.ECb With teacher assistance, use a combination of drawing, dictating, or
writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what
they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

5.A.ECb Use scribbles, letterlike forms, or letters/words to represent

written language.

Learning Objectives:
Students will create their own journal entry about the visit to the pumpkin
farm yesterday and explain what is going on in their entry.
Students will draw and show they attempted to write about their experience
with scribbles or letterforms.

Vocabulary:

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will gather a group of The children will meet at the
5 students at a table. table with the teacher.
The teacher will hand out paper, The students will think about the
writing, and coloring materials. field site visit yesterday and begin
The teacher will ask the students to color a picture of a memory
to think about their field trip to from the day.
the pumpkin farm yesterday and The students will complete their
come up with one event to draw pictures, and then write
and write about. underneath, what is happening in
The teacher will tell the students the picture.
to draw what they would like The students will individually tell
first, and then write about what is the teacher their description of
happening in the picture below it. the picture and what their writing
The teacher will transcribe the says underneath.
students writing and
descriptions one by one on their
papers.

Resources & Materials:

Markers
Crayons
Colored pencils
Paper

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Lines to write on
Pencils
Pens
Pictures from the day before for reference

Assessment Strategies:
Rubric
Developmental checklist
Work sampling

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Central Focus: Identifying and labeling the parts of a pumpkin in a small group in
the preschool setting.

IELDS:
12.C.ECa Identify, describe, and compare the physical properties of objects.

5.A.ECb Use scribbles, letterlike forms, or letters/words to represent written

language.

1.E.ECc With teacher assistance, use new words acquired through

conversations and book-sharing experiences.

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to identify the different parts of a pumpkin by labeling.
Students will write the different labels next to their appropriate part of the
picture.
Students will use new words from the shared reading book to identify what
makes up a pumpkin.

Vocabulary:
Seeds
Stem
Brains
Vine
Plant
Pulp
Blossom end
Tendrils
Flower
Ribs
Rind/skin

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will divide the The students will gather at a table
children up into a small group at to work.
a table.
The teacher will introduce
labeling with a diagram of a
pumpkin.
The teacher will model how to The students will verbally
draw a line to the part of the participate in modeling with the
pumpkin, and how to write in the teacher.
name of this part in the white

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space on the side.
The teacher will place pumpkins
by each of the children to
observe, as well as put out guides
to the different parts.
The teacher will let the students The students will receive their
begin to label their pumpkins. materials and begin to work.
The teacher will answer any The students will ask any
questions along the way that the questions if they get stuck or
students might need help with. need help.
The teacher will allow the The students will color their
children to color the pumpkin labeled pumpkins when they are
when they are done. completed labeling each part.
The teacher will use a cut half of a The students will verbally
pumpkin, and label it together as participate in labeling the actual
a group, with toothpicks and pumpkin and will help the
labels. teacher stick the labels into the
different parts.

Resources & Materials:

Small whole pumpkins
Large pumpkin cut in half
Blank pumpkin diagrams
Pencils
Markers
Crayons
Toothpicks
White printer labels
Pens

Assessment Strategies:
Checklist of each of the parts the children need to label
Observational records
Work sampling
Photographs of the children labeling their papers
Photographs of the children labeling the real pumpkin

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Central Focus: Printing with mini pumpkins in small groups in a preschool setting.

IELDS:
19.A.ECa Engage in active play using gross- and fine-motor skills.
26.B.ECa Use creative arts as an avenue for self-expression.

Learning Objectives:
Students will use the stampers creatively with paint on a piece of paper.
Students will create a picture or pattern with the pumpkin stampers.

Vocabulary:
Stamping
Stamp
Pattern

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will gather a small The students will gather in a
group of students in the art small group in the art center and
center. have a seat.
The teacher will introduce what The students will observe how
stamping is to the children and the teacher is modeling getting
model how to dip the stamps into paint on the pumpkin and how to
the paint and onto the paper. stamp it.
The teacher will pass out The students will write their
different paper for the students to names on the papers they are
stamp on. handed.
The teacher will encourage the The students will begin using the
children to create pictures, stamps, creating pictures,
patterns, or shapes if theyd like. patterns, or anything theyd like.
The teacher asks the students to The students verbally respond by
explain the physical features that pointing out the attributes that
they noticed on the shape the their stamps had with the
stamp created. pictures they created.

Resources & Materials:

Tempura paints of different colors
Paper plates for the paint
Mini pumpkins cut in half the flat way
Paintbrushes
Paper
Pencils
Knife for teacher to use

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Assessment Strategies:
Work sampling with pictures

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Central Focus: Float or sink science experiment with pumpkins in a whole-class
preschool setting.

IELDS:
11.A.ECf Make meaning from experience and information by describing,
talking, and thinking about what happened during an investigation.
12.D.ECa Describe the effects of forces in nature.
11.A.ECd Collect, describe, compare, and record information from
observations and investigations.
11.A.ECg Generate explanations and communicate ideas and/or conclusions
about their investigations.

Learning Objectives:
Students will participate in the investigation by asking questions, making
suggestions, or making conclusions.
Students will understand the forces of gravity as well as why something
floats or sinks.
Students will collect data and information during the experiment as a whole
class.

Vocabulary:
Float
Sink
Hollow
Solid
Predict

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will gather the Students will gather in a group
students outside around the around the bucket of water and
bucket of water and the items the items that will be used in the
next to it. experiment.
The teacher will create a chart
with the words sink and float
on each side.
The teacher will have the The students will verbally
students guess whether the respond to the teacher with their
pumpkins and other items will guesses of whether each thing
sink or float in water. will float or sink.
The teacher will hand out the The students will write their
record sheet on a clipboard to names on the sheets on their
each child. clipboards.
The teacher will allow the The students will put pumpkins

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students to begin testing and other vegetables in the
pumpkins and vegetables. bucket of water and observe.
Discuss with the students The students will come up with
whether it matters what side of ideas of whether the placement
the vegetable is at the top, and if matters, and verbally share them
the item floats differently. with the class.
The teacher will have the The students fill out the chart,
students fill out the chart on their marking tallies in each spot of
clipboards of what items floated what items floated and what
or sunk. items didnt.
The teacher will lead a The students will brainstorm
brainstorming activity trying to what all the vegetables that
discover if the vegetables that floated have in common,
floated have anything in common, eventually figuring out that they
leading to the fact that they are all are all hollow inside.
hollow inside.

Resources & Materials:

A variety of small pumpkins of different shapes
Buckets or tub filled with water
Assorted fruits and vegetables
Clipboards
Pencils
Worksheets
Haron, D. (n.d.). Sink or Float. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/444/sink-or-float/
Haynes, J. (n.d.). Will the Pumpkin Sink or Float? Retrieved April 26, 2016,
from http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/pumpkinscience.php
How to Make Class Books. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://www.pre-kpages.com/classbooks/

Assessment Strategies:
Observational records
Work sampling
Take pictures during

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Central Focus: Making pumpkin bread dough and baking it, working in the
preschool setting in small groups.

IELDS:
7.C.ECa With teacher assistance, explore use of measuring tools that use
standard units to measure objects and quantities that are meaningful to the
child.

12.C.ECa Identify, describe, and compare the physical properties of objects.

5.A.ECb Use scribbles, letterlike forms, or letters/words to represent

written language.

31.B.ECa Interact verbally and nonverbally with other children.

Learning Objectives:
Children will list and write ingredients for pumpkin bread making.
Children will research and create a recipe for the pumpkin bread.
Children will participate in measuring and mixing dough ingredients.
Children will assist in baking the pumpkin bread.

Vocabulary:
Ingredients
Rise
Measure
Teaspoon
Tablespoon
Cup (1/4, , )
Dough
Mix

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
Create a list of ingredients. The children will brainstorm
Prepare the environment for ideas for pumpkin bread making.
pumpkin bread making. Measure and mix the dough.
Model pouring the dough into a Pour the dough into pans.
pan.
Encourage the children to use the Use the recipes as a resource.
recipes as resources for making
the rest.
Teacher will supervise the Practice using time and timers to
baking. bake the bread.

Resources & Materials:

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Pumpkin bread ingredients
o Flour
o Salt
o Baking powder
o Baking soda
o Cloves
o Cinnamon
o Nutmeg
o Sugar
o Butter
o Eggs
o Canned pumpkin
Mixing bowls
Spoons
Pans for baking
Measuring cups and spoons
Chart paper
Markers
Access to an oven
Oven mitts
Aprons
Pumpkin Bread - Once Upon a Chef. (2009). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/09/spiced-pumpkin-bread.html

Assessment Strategies:
Taking pictures
Anecdotal notes during the pumpkin bread making activity
Documentation in individual portfolios

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Central Focus: Paint pumpkins from the pumpkin farm in small groups.

IELDS:
26.B.ECa Use creative arts as an avenue for self-expression.
30.A.ECa Recognize and label basic emotions.

Learning Objectives:
Students will create faces on their pumpkins showing different emotions or
expressions.
Students will use art materials to create a visual.

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
Introduce students to emotions The students will listen and
briefly on the carpet. observe the different emotions.
Divide the students into groups The students will gather in the art
and have 4 or 5 students meet at center if they are called over to
the art center. work.
The teacher will introduce the
activity, handing each of the The students will brainstorm
students their pumpkins from the what kind of face they want to
field site visit. draw on their pumpkins, using
The teacher will explain that they paper to practice drawing it if
will be painting faces however they want to.
they want to on their pumpkins.
The teacher will model how the The students will observe how
students will create the faces on the teacher is modeling what they
the pumpkins, by outlining in will be doing.
Sharpie, tracing with glue on Q-
Tips, and shaking glitter onto the
pumpkins.
The teacher will let the students The students will create the faces
work. on their pumpkins.

Resources & Materials:

Small pumpkins
Sharpie markers
Liquid glue
Glitter in different colors
Q-Tips

Assessment Strategies:
Pictures for documentation

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Central Focus: Counting pumpkin seeds, working in small groups.

IELDS:
6.A.ECa Count with understanding and recognize how many in small
sets up to 5.
6.C.ECa Estimate number of objects in a small set.

6.D.ECa Compare two collections to see if they are equal or determine

which is more, using a procedure of the childs choice.

Learning Objectives:
Students will count pumpkin seeds with understanding of how many there
are.
Students will estimate the number of seeds in their pumpkins.
Students will compare the number of seeds in their pumpkin to the amount
others have with a class chart.

Vocabulary:
More
Less
Equal
Greater than
Fewer
Same as

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will gather the The students will gather on their
students on the rug the day after rug with their painted pumpkins.
they paint faces on them.
The teacher will explain and The students will pay attention to
model to the students how they what the teacher is doing and
will scoop out the insides of their modeling.
pumpkins to find the seeds.
The teacher will split the students The students will go to the table,
into smaller groups, and work and wait for the teacher to come
with them, helping to cut off the help cut the top of their pumpkin
top. out.
The teacher will assist the The students will scoop out the
students with scooping out the pumpkins insides with bug
insides. spoons.
The teacher will instruct the The students will sort through the
students to find all the seeds they insides to pull out all of the seeds
can and separate them. they can find onto a tray.

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The teacher will help the students The students will wash their
clean off their hands. hands.
The teacher will explain that the The students will begin to count
students will count how many their pumpkin seeds, grouping
seeds they found in their them if they need to.
pumpkin.
The teacher will chart on a graph The students will share their final
how many seeds each child number with the teacher to put
counted. on the chart.
The teacher will ask guiding The students will verbally answer
questions about comparing the the teacher, figuring out who had
numbers, who had the the most and least seeds, and who
most/fewest seeds, etc. had equal amounts.
Once the teacher has had all the The students will gather on the
students complete the activity, rug when everyone is finished
the class will discuss the chart as and find out again who has the
a whole, finding out who had the most/least seeds now, and help
most/least, and graphing the the teacher to create a graph of
numbers. everyones amounts of seeds.

Resources & Materials:

Pumpkins
Scooping spoons
Knives for the teacher to use
Wax paper
Cookie sheets
Tongs
Access to a sink
Plastic Ziploc bags

Assessment Strategies:
Checklist
Observational notes
Pictures for work sampling and portfolios

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Central Focus: Create a class pumpkin book, working in small groups.

IELDS:
1.C.ECa Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with teacher
assistance, provide additional detail.

1.E.ECe With teacher assistance use adjectives to describe people, places,

and things.

1.D.ECa With teacher assistance use complete sentences in speaking with

peers and adults in individual and group situations.

Learning Objectives:
Students will choose an adjective that describes their pumpkin and
completes the sentence.
Students will repeat the sentence on their page of the book.

Vocabulary:
Adjective
Describe

Instructional Strategies Learning Tasks

What will the teacher do? What will the children do?
The teacher will call students Children will wait to be called
over to a table individually or over by the teacher.
with one other student. Once called, the child brings
Introduce adjectives to the his/her pumpkin over to the
student(s) as describing words. table.
The teacher will have the The student will come up with
students describe the picture of ideas of describing words for
their pumpkin that they created their pumpkins.
yesterday. The student will write their
Help the students come up with a adjective that finishes the
unique word to describe their sentence in the blank space on
pumpkins face. the page.

Resources & Materials:

Cardstock
Glue sticks
Each childs mini painted pumpkin
Black marker
Picture of each student holding their pumpkin
White sheets with _______s pumpkin is __________. on the bottom

Assessment Strategies:

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Observational notes
Documentation through pictures

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Parent Involvement Extensions:

Parental involvement in the classroom has shown to be successful in creating

a more positive learning environment, as well as helped students learn more from
lessons and activities. Parents can be such a huge asset to teachers, bringing in
knowledge, helping with different activities, and bringing in materials to use or
borrow. In this integrated unit on pumpkins, I plan to use the parents and families
as resources for many things.
Before the unit begins, I would send out a signup sheet for the parents to put
their names on if they would be willing to or have time to help with anything, even
just donating things needed for specific activities. Especially donating materials for
the dramatic play center that will be turned into a pumpkin farm. This would be
posted on the classroom bulletin board so it could be seen what each person has
signed up for already. On the very first day, I would have a parent volunteer help
with planting the students pumpkin seeds in pots. The parent could work with a
group of students on planting their seeds as the teacher works with another few
students, getting them all planted quicker and easier. Parents could also contribute
to this activity by purchasing some of the materials needed to plant the pumpkin
seeds.
One of the events throughout the week that would probably benefit the most
from parent involvement would be the field site visit. Since the children will be in
different groups, working on different things at the pumpkin farm, there will need to
be at least one adult with each group. The parents can learn with their children at
the field site and encourage them to want to learn. This will enhance their
experience with the visit and could create amazing memories for the family. Since
most of the day will be spent at the site, the parents can help keep control of the
children, along with helping with lunch and transitioning from the location back to
school.
For the pumpkin bread baking experiment and activity, parents could be
experts brought into the classroom to help. There is always at least one parent that
loves to bake and is very good at it. This parent could come in and help teach and
implement the lesson, making sure everyone gets the chance to measure
ingredients, mix some of the dough, and put it into the pans. Again, this is another
activity that would be easier with more adult help and supervision in the room. The
students would have more learning opportunities.
Finally, the classroom book that is going to be made on the last day and
printed out for all of the families will be an amazing resource that creates a family
feel for the class as a whole. The parents can become more familiar with the other
students that their child gets to interact with at school on a daily basis. It might
make them more willing to want to come into the classroom and help out, as well as
meet the other students firsthand. The classroom book is something that can be
shared with other family members, like grandparents, who would love to be able to
connect with their grandchilds school experience.

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Integrated Unit
Participatory/Interactive Bulletin Board Design:

The classroom bulletin board is hung right by the door to the classroom,
making it very visible for parents as they enter and exit the room. This bulletin
board will have parent information of upcoming events in the classroom and in the
school. It will include the calendar of what day they are responsible for sending in a
snack for the class with their child in the morning. It will have volunteer sign ups
for activities going on during the week that the parents can help out with, as well as
things that the classroom needs that could be donated or borrowed from the
families.
This bulletin board will also include documentation of the students working.
The documents will show student progress, and will include pictures and notes of
whats going on. The parents will all be able to see what is going on in the classroom
and keep up to date with the activities as well as the learning progressions of their
children. The children will be satisfied and point out to their parents what they
have been working on and be able to explain it with the picture to remind them.
This will also help the students to remember what they have learned, and sort of
enhance that learning and keep it fresh in their mind.
For the pumpkin unit, there will be a bulletin board with a word wall of the
new words learned throughout the week that the students will help update and
decide what words will go on it. There will also be a bulletin board with the life
cycle of the pumpkin laid out with visuals and the corresponding words that name
that part of the sequence. After the field site visit and the expert guest coming into
the room, more pictures will be posted around the room so that students can see
what they have done and see what they have learned since that point or in that
moment.
The documentation form that will be used and posted for the families to see
will have a spot for notes of what was going on in the picture, a space for the picture
or the work itself, and the benchmarks that this documentation shows. Example:

Students Name: _______________________________

Notes: Picture/Visual:

Learning Benchmarks:

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Professional Resources List:

Location of field site visit:

Tanners Orchard

740 State Route 40, Speer, IL 61479

*U-Pick is $3/per person + the price of the apples/pumpkins for ages 3

Haron, D. (n.d.). Sink or Float. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from

http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/444/sink-or-float/

Haynes, J. (n.d.). Will the Pumpkin Sink or Float? Retrieved April 26, 2016,

from http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/pumpkinscience.php

How to Make Class Books. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from

http://www.pre-kpages.com/classbooks/

Panse, S. (2015, September 11). Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Lesson Plan for

Preschool: From Seed to Pumpkin. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/48882-

pumpkin-life-cycle-how-a-pumpkin-grows/

Pumpkin Bread - Once Upon a Chef. (2009). Retrieved April 26, 2016, from

http://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/09/spiced-pumpkin-bread.html

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Student Resources List:

Hall, Z., & Halpern, S. (1994). It's Pumpkin Time! New York: Blue Sky Press.

Pumpkin plants

Life cycle of a pumpkin song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-

GwFHQZI8

A. (2012). Life cycle of a Pumpkin. Retrieved April 27, 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-GwFHQZI8

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Worksheets for Float or Sink activity:

Pumpkin Record Sheet

Draw a pumpkin above or below for your
guess:

Draw your pumpkin:

Sink or float?

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Which Vegetables & Fruit Float?

Name of Sink Float
Vegetable/Fruit
Pumpkin

Squash

Carrot

Apple

Eggplant

Banana

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Page for the Class Book:

________________s pumpkin is _______________.

PICTURE GOES HERE

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Topic Box Contents

Big Books:
-The Seed Song by Judy Saksie
-Its Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall

Books:
-Its Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall
-Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins by Dianne Ochiltree
-Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum
-Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson
-Pumpkins by Ken Robbins
-Pumpkins by Erika L. Shores

5 Little Pumpkins Song and Poem

With pumpkin finger puppets

5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

Magnet set

5 Pumpkins in a Pumpkin Patch

Felt pieces of different sizes

3 Little Pumpkins Song/Poem

Shows pumpkin, Jack-o-Lantern, and pumpkin pie

Life cycle of a pumpkin cards

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Integrated Unit
Reflection:

After completion of this project, I feel very proud of myself. I am amazed that
I created a complete two-week unit. I came up with a strong and important topic
that I think preschoolers would love and enjoy very much. Beginning the process, I
was a little nervous and overwhelmed with all of the different parts of the thematic
unit. Coming up with a topic wasnt too hard, but I was concerned about finding
enough activities to create. I am a person that really finds webbing influential, for
all things, so after I webbed out the topic, I think I was reassured that I could do this.
I took all of the subject areas and came up with ideas for each discipline. I
was surprisingly able to come up with at least four or five activities for each. Then I
connected the ideas for activities to IELDS benchmarks, which really helped in the
lesson planning process. After this step, I came up with the changes in the learning
center environments that are specific to the topic of pumpkins. This was also fairly
easy to come up with items to add to each center, but a little challenging for the
block center.
Coming up with the two-week plan was probably the most stressful, trying to
fit everything in, and imagine how activities would flow day to day. Things had to be
rearranged frequently, and so many different aspects had to be considered when
moving activities around. The daily schedule was also a little harder to create. I was
glad to have the example of my novice preschool classrooms daily schedule to base
it off of somewhat, but its just hard because an actual schedule can change so much
every day. I had to think about how much time to allot for each part of the day, and
had to almost guess, without a real classroom to test it out in.
The end product turned out really well, in my opinion. It shows how hard I
worked on this thematic unit, and is something I could actually implement in a
preschool classroom. It could even be adapted and used in a higher grade level
classroom. I look forward to using it one day in a novice or student teaching, or
even in the future in my own classroom.

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