Learn about Pumpkins!
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity
1. Pumpkins are thought to have originated in Central America, specifically Mexico. Some seeds found date back to 5500 B.C.
2. Top pumpkin growers are U.S. farmers, growing more than 1.5 billion each year.
3. The word pumpkin comes from the French word for “large melon”,
pompon. The English used “pumpion” and colonists used “pumpkin”.
4. The World’s Largest Pumpkin Pie was made in New Bremen, Ohio, in 2010. 1,212 lbs of canned pumpkin, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 525
pounds of sugar, 14.5 pounds of cinnamon, 7 pounds of salt and 2796 eggs
pounds of sugar, 14.5 pounds of cinnamon, 7 pounds of salt and 2796 eggs
were used. It weighed 3699 pounds.
5. Did you know that pumpkins are 90 percent water?
6. Some people used to believe that pumpkins could cure snake bites and help remove freckles!
7. In addition to orange, pumpkins can be green, yellow, tan, white,red and
blue.
blue.
8. The “Pumpkin Capital of the World” and home to Libby’s Pumpkins is Morton, Illinois.
9. The fibrous strands of string and seeds are called the “brains” of the pumpkin.
10. Carving pumpkins originated in Ireland using potatoes,rutabagas and
turnips. Irish immigrants to America started using pumpkins as they were
turnips. Irish immigrants to America started using pumpkins as they were
easier to carve and hollow!
11. Part of the squash and cucumber family(cucurbita), pumpkins are actually considered fruit!
12. Ohio, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania are the top pumpkin-growing
states.
states.
13. In 2013, Keene, NH, kept the record for the most lit pumpkins! 30,581. It holds the record in 2016, too.
14. Crowned the record heaviest pumpkin grown in North America(2016), a Rhode Island man grew a pumpkin which weighed in at a whopping 2261.5 pounds.
15. A pumpkin grown in the country of (2016) Belgium tipped the scale at a whopping 2623.5 pounds!
Pumpkin growers say that a 3000 pound pumpkin is possible in the near future! It wasn't that many years ago that a 1000 pound pumpkin, now a light weight, would have been news worthy. The problem with growing such jumbos is that gravity often causes them to get smooshed and then they can't qualify for judging.
Need a writing prompt? The record pumpkin has just arrived in a large truck to your home. What would you do with this pumpkin? How would you describe it?
Photograph from http://firstwefeast.com
Pumpkin growers say that a 3000 pound pumpkin is possible in the near future! It wasn't that many years ago that a 1000 pound pumpkin, now a light weight, would have been news worthy. The problem with growing such jumbos is that gravity often causes them to get smooshed and then they can't qualify for judging.
Need a writing prompt? The record pumpkin has just arrived in a large truck to your home. What would you do with this pumpkin? How would you describe it?
Photograph from http://firstwefeast.com
Illustration from wpclipart.com
Activities:
• Illustrate a picture of one of the facts learned.
• Write a poem about a pumpkin.!• Pretend you are a pumpkin and write about your day in the
pumpkin patch, on a porch or waiting to be purchased at a farmer’s stand.
* Try my webquest on Pumpkins: 10 web questions with several comprehension questions(lots of extension activities).
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pumpkin-Fun-Fun-and-Informative-Webquest-359886
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