I have a fun pumpkin lapbook today. Also, look at my other lapbooks on my page Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning. Too, look at my page Fall Season Fall Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.
So today I am showing you how to easily turn a printable pumpkin lapbook into a unit study.
Remember a unit study means you cover one theme while covering as many academic subjects as you naturally can.
And with the many unit studies I have done, I’ve learned if a subject does not fit into a theme naturally then don’t force the fit.
In addition, you decide to add hands-on activities or not.
I used to not be such a firm believer of hands-on but after homeschooling for 20+ years I am now.
Hands-on means that all senses are involved, and it helps learning to stick.
The information sinks in when children learn to engage in hands-on activity.
Besides hands-on learning is more than just doing a craft.
Not all kids learn the same way, but all children should be motivated to learn outside of their comfort zone.
For example, I have a son who prefers to read books over doing until he does something he enjoys.
A lapbook can promote critical thinking skills.
When done alongside a unit study, you can easily cover many subjects in that one theme.
Besides, problem solving skills promote independent thinking.
And engaging or manipulating an activity hands-on can make concrete subjects real.
Your child can create a lapbook any way he prefers or use part of my printables and part printables you find which interests your child.
Also, before you begin read aloud or pick some of your favorite pumpkin books for reading.
Books About Pumpkins for Kids
I try to look for living books.
Then add reference books.
8 Pumpkin Books
Grab some of these fun books about pumpkins, fall and fall harvest.
Rebecca Estelle has hated pumpkins ever since she was a girl when pumpkins were often the only food her family had. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and smashes in her yard, she shovels dirt over the pieces and forgets about them. But those slimy pumpkin smithereens sprout up in autumn, and Rebecca Estelle finds a sea of pumpkins in her garden. A heartwarming classic for more than twenty years, this story shows what happens when one thrifty gardener figures out how to make other people happy with the squash she can't stomach.
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie follows Apples for Everyone in the Picture the Seasons series. This beautifully photographed picture book about everybody’s favorite fall treat is sure to please kids both young and old. The glossy, festive images and lively text are sure to get your family in the mood to celebrate the season.Pumpkins! Who can resist the sight of big, round, orange pumpkins ripening in a field?
Every year, giant pumpkin contests take place at fairs across the country—the 2012 record-holder weighed over a ton! The latest craze is to carve the most enormous pumpkins into racing boats. But what’s next? Why not think really big? Award-winning artist Wendell Minor does just that as he imagines larger-than-life pumpkins decorating some of America’s favorite places—as immense as the Capitol dome, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, even the Grand Canyon! This celebration of famous landmarks and landscapes plays with concepts of size and scale and is full of fun facts.
How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess.
This is a clear and appealing environmental science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Plus it includes a find out more section with activities such as an experiment to show how plants use roots to drink water from the ground and a recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds.
"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."-
Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?
With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.
Pumpkin Facts
Pumpkins were an important part of the life of early Native Americans.
Besides eating them, they used just about every part of the pumpkin
For example, for food they would boil them in a stew and even dry some pieces.
The seeds were saved too and roasted later as a snack.
And after the pumpkin was eaten, the empty shell makes for a great bowl or container.
Pumpkins symbolized the end of the harvest season in a year and to enjoy the bounty of the harvest.
Additionally, look at some fun pumpkin activities.
They are not only a fun way to enjoy the change in the weather, but to add some fun learning.
MORE PUMPKIN ACTIVITIES
How to Add Subjects to a Pumpkin Unit Study
1. Do basic chemistry.
First, use a pumpkin to learn about volcanoes.
A foaming, oozing pumpkin volcano can be a great hands-on experiment to demonstrate volcanoes.
Look at my post Celebrate National Vinegar Day With A Hands-on Study of Volcanoes. This fun activity introduces kids to basic chemistry concepts.
2. Perform simple math activities.
Use the seeds for simple counting exercises. If you have older kids introduce estimation and have them estimate how many seeds a pumpkin has.
Older learners can measure and compare sizes on a chart. Introduce geometry when you explore the share and size.
Also, they can weigh pumpkins and compare heights. And fractions can be taught as you cut pieces of the pumpkin.
3. Explore seeds and science
Learn about seed germination. And even plant and water some of the seeds from you pumpkin. Watch them grow and chart the progress in a Science Journal.
4. Dive into botany and explore the life cycle of a pumpkin.
Besides learning about the different types of pumpkins, learn pumpkin anatomy.
For example, there are pumpkins harvested which are smaller and sweeter and good to use for delicious pies.
Examples of them are Sugar Pie, Baby Bear, and Cinderella pumpkins.
There are also pumpkins used more for decoration like blue pumpkins like the Jarradale, and miniature pumpkins like the Munchkin.
However, you can explore all the parts of any pumpkin and begin with the life cycle.
Look at my activity here How To Do An Easy Science Pumpkin Study By A Rotting Pumpkin Experiment.
Next, look at my post Pumpkin Anatomy | Kids Exploring the Parts of a Pumpkin And Printables to dive into a hands-on activity about the anatomy of a pumpkin.
5. Add language arts.
There are many fun ways to incorporate language arts.
Look above at the books about pumpkins and use a few of them for reading and copywork.
Too, look at my page here about the Fall Season for notebooking pages about autumn.
Then look at these pumpkin vocabulary words on my page How To Do An Easy Science Pumpkin Study By A Rotting Pumpkin Experiment to add to your notebook.
5. Do arts and crafts.
Add fun too like arts and crafts ideas with pumpkins.
- 8 Easy Fall Wood Crafts For Kids And A Dollar Tree Pumpkin Patch
- How to Make Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub & 7 Fall DIY Crafts For Teens
- Easy Fall Crafts for Middle School: DIY String Pumpkin Art
- Kids Fun Glue and Watercolor Fall Pumpkin Unit Study
And I have some art memorization cards on this post for my fall lapbook.
5. Life skills like cooking.
Then nothing says fall more than baking a delicious pumpkin pie.
When the kids were real little, we learned about the ingredients and made this Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag. It’s great if you don’t want your little ones around the heat yet.
But also add this recipe for Two Yummy Pumpkin Seed Recipes and then this is a sweet potato pie recipe which is our favorite. My granny’s recipe for pumpkin pie is almost exactly like that one.
About the Pumpkin Lapbook & Notebooking Pages
Finally, I have a fun pumpkin lapbook to use with multiple ages. I geared it toward grades 2 to 4 but again grades are selective as we know.
Look at the printables included in the download.
- One front outside cover in color. Mix and match the pieces for the outside flap.
- One front outside flap cover for your child to color.
- Pumpkin Life Cycle and labeled parts of pumpkin
- 7 vocabulary words and definitions
- Seed box pocket to store saved seeds
- About pumpkin pocket with facts
- Parts of pumpkin fact card
- More Pumpkin Facts & Fun pocket to glue on back of file folder
- Two Anatomy of a Pumpkin Notebooking Pages. One has facts filled in and one page is blank so that your child labels the part.
- Three pages of pumpkin note cards to use to identify the parts of a pumpkin.
- Two Life Cycle of a Pumpkin pages. One has facts filled in and one page is blank so that your child labels the cycle.
- One About Pumpkin Notebooking page for your children to write what interests them.
How to Get the Pumpkin Lapbook
You can purchase the lapbook now!
- Aimed at elementary.
- This is a .pdf instant downloadable product and not a physical product.
- You are paying for the printables, the lapbook and notebooking pages.
- My lapbooks are created for multiple ages.
- Your digital product is delivered to the email you used for pay pal.
- 19 page digital download.
You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook. However, I always provide activities and have a blog post with resources to go with each of my lapbooks.
I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling out the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do try to provide free links on my site as I can.
MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant. I value your business and value you as a follower. I stand behind my products because they are actual products I use and benefit from too. Though I cannot refund purchases after you have been given access to them, I will do what I can to be sure you are a pleased customer. Read carefully what you get on your digital download. If you have questions, email me FIRST at tina homeschools AT gmail DOT com.
Happy Fall!
