Observing the Pumpkin Cycle

From seed to jack-o-lantern, young scholars walk step-by-step through the life cycle of pumpkins with this fun art and science activity. After first participating in a shared reading of the children's book Pumpkin, Pumpkin children color...

Look around and explore. Little ones use their five senses with some day-to-day activities designed to guide observation and apply STEM strategies. Young scientists learn through comparing/contrasting and observing with magnifiers as...

Observe the differences between the inside and outside of a pumpkin. Learners discuss what pumpkins are used for and then view a pumpkin. Next, they view the inside of the pumpkin and draw the differences they see.

Caterpillars and butterflies each have their own unique challenges. While studying the life cycle of butterflies, learners focus on the threats to each stage. While some threats will be the same, each stage has its own unique challenge. 

Follow the life cycle of a dandelion with a lab sheet for kindergartners. They learn about the order of events in a dandelion's life, then put the stages of life in order. Can they describe the life cycle of a pumpkin? For extra...

Scientists define and discuss decomposition, and watch pumpkins decompose and return to soil in classroom experiment. They record the date the experiment began, chart changes in pumpkins on a calendar, count how many days it takes...

What do seeds need in order to grow into plants? This presentation follows what happened every four days during a seed growth and observation study. Images compare how well two sets of seeds did under specific circumstances. Use this to...

Create colorful butterfly models that display the stages in a butterfly's life with young learners. They will identify the stages in a butterfly's life cycle. Then they will create a butterfly model, arranging the stages of a butterfly's...

Celebrate the circle of life with this fun hands-on activity. After cutting out, gluing together, and assembling this visual model, students are able to spin through and observe the life cycle of penguins.

Young scientists view videos to watch the changes through the life cycle of a plant. Then they will germinate seeds on a sock and in a plastic bag. Finally, they answer questions about the sequence of plant growth and record changes in...