Teach Estimation, Measurement, and Calculation

Math Lesson Plan for the Trade Book How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Oct 14, 2008 Renee Carver

Use the book How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? as a focus for a math lesson plan about estimation, skip counting, measurement, and calculating averages: mean, median, and mode

Using a trade book as the focus for a math lesson helps elementary students understand the practical applications of the math skills they are learning. Use How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara [Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007] to introduce the elementary math activities of estimating; skip counting by twos, fives, and tens; measuring using a nonstandard measuring tool; and calculating the mean, median, and mode of a set of statistical data.

Objectives

Students will make and check estimates about how many seeds are in a pumpkin.
Students will demonstrate an ability to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Students will use pumpkin seeds as a nonstandard measuring tool.
Students will use pumpkin seeds to calculate averages such as mean, median, and mode.

Lesson Focus

Display a big, a medium-sized, and a small pumpkin.
Help students use comparative adjectives such as bigger, heavier, and smallest to compare the pumpkins.
Discuss how many seeds might be inside each pumpkin and how you could check.

Use a Trade Book to Teach Estimation

Explain that an estimate is a guess based on your knowledge and observations.
Read How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? to the point where Mr. Tiffin dries the seeds.
Record students' estimates for how many seeds are in each of your pumpkins.
Assign each pumpkin to a group of students. Photograph and have groups write a description of each pumpkin.
Divide pumpkins into sections of equal sizes, one for each student. Have each student scoop out, wash, and dry his or her seeds.
Read the book to the point where the class finds out Charlie's pumpkin has the most seeds.
Have students skip count their seeds by twos, fives, or tens.
Once groups have recorded how many seeds were in each section, have them calculate the total number of seeds in their pumpkins. Note that groups can add the individual totals together or pool and skip count all the seeds.
Read the book to the end. Compare the book results to your class results. Did the pumpkin with the most seeds have more lines on its sides?
For assessment, pour different amounts of pumpkin seeds into clear glass jars or onto paper plates and have students observe the pumpkin seeds, estimate how many there are in each case, and skip count to check.

Use Pumpkin Seed Math Manipulatives to Measure and to Calculate Averages

Once seeds are dry, coat them with clear nail polish or paint, color, or dye them to make fall-themed math manipulatives.

Use pumpkin seeds as a nonstandard unit of measurement. Have students lay seeds end to end to measure various classroom items, such as a pencil, the sides of a desk, and the length of a side of the room.
Have older or advanced children measure a ruler or a hand in pumpkin seeds and practice converting measurements between the two different units.
Introduce the concepts of mean (the average number of something in a set), median (the middle number in a set of numbers), and mode (the number that occurs most often). Have each group write in order the number of pumpkin seeds in each of their pumpkin's sections and calculate the mean, median, and mode of this set of data for their pumpkin.
Give older or advanced students piles of pumpkin seeds in different colors. Have them guess how many of each color they have; count the seeds; record and graph the results; and calculate the mean, median, and mode.

Reading about and participating in hands-on math activities using pumpkin seeds will help children master new math skills and understand better how and why to use them. Then use pumpkin seeds for craft activities.

The copyright of the article Teach Estimation, Measurement, and Calculation in Primary School is owned by Renee Carver. Permission to republish Teach Estimation, Measurement, and Calculation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Pumpkin Seeds