Grow, Grow, Grow Your Boat! Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will follow the steps of how to grow and create a pumpkin boat.

 

Social Studies Focus:

engineering

 

Science Focus:

giant pumpkins

 

ELA Skills:

key details, writing, vocabulary, text evidence

 

Page 4 Skill:

read a life cycle

 

Vocabulary:

seed, hollow

 

CCSS:

RI.2.1, L.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.8, RI.2.10, SL.2.3

Download TEKS Standards
Download California State Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on the pumpkin life cycle.

 

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video “A Pumpkin Grows.” After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following questions:

  • If you want to grow a pumpkin, what is the first thing to do? (Plant a seed.)
  • What is a blossom? (A flower.)
  • What are some of the ways a pumpkin changes as it grows? (Answers will vary.)

 

Preview vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are seed and hollow.

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. Can students guess what the boat is made of? A pumpkin—a big one!
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 2: “Pay attention to what you need to do to grow a pumpkin boat.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Use the online game-show to gauge comprehension and reinforce the issue’s content. Students can play by themselves or in teams. For each question they answer correctly, they win a point!

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important Science and ELA skills. Here’s how.

 

Exit Ticket: Show What You Learned (5 min.)

  • Use our new Show What You Learned printable as a quick exit ticket! It asks students to revisit the As You Read prompt after they are done reading. If you are teaching remotely, this page is a great way to check students’ comprehension.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the words seed and hollow.

Editor’s Pick: Reading a Diagram (15 min.)

  • The Pumpkin Diagram printable gives students a scientific look inside a pumpkin and the parts that make it up. It’s a great way to give students practice with this important text feature.

ELA Focus: Use Text Evidence (15 min.)

  • Norbert Know-It-All is a beloved character—but he doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does! Print out his letter and put it in an envelope addressed to your class.
  • Then read the letter aloud. Norbert says he’s an “expert” on giant pumpkins, but students will disagree! They can write their own letter proving him wrong and send it to [email protected]. Norbert will write back!

 Here's one past issue you can use to extend your lesson on stepping up to challenges:

  • Rotten Science, October 2018. What happens if you leave a pumpkin out for too long? This issue has the answer!

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher Lexile level: 560L
  • Lower Lexile level: 460L