A Trip to the Patch

A WebQuest for 1st Grade Science

Introduction:

Get pumped up for a pumpkin adventure filled with lots of fun! Learn about what it takes to grow pumpkins. Visit a real pumpkin patch. See for yourself how big pumpkins can grow. Do you know what pumpkins can be used for? You can even carve your own pumpkin! Get ready to prick, poke, pry, and peek your way into a giant world of pumpkins!

The Tasks:

You are going to use the Internet to find out more about pumpkins. Some of the things you will do include:

develop a plan for growing pumpkins,
describe the parts you would find at a pumpkin farm,
create a poster of your own pumpkin farm,
read a pumpkin book and choose your favorite pumpkin face,
put together a pumpkin jigsaw puzzle, and
summarize the steps for carving a real pumpkin and create an on-line jack-o-lantern.

The Process:

Here we are! Get ready to explore the world of pumpkins. Through these interactive websites, you will learn many interesting things about the world of pumpkins. To accomplish the tasks, you will need to follow the processes in order. You may need the help of your teacher and parents to complete the process.

1. Growing Pumpkins can be very fun and rewarding. How do you plant and grow your own pumpkins? Let's learn the secrets for growing some great jack-o-laterns. After reading about the steps you follow for growing pumpkins, develop your own plan for growing a pumpkin. Draw your plan on a poster and explain what you will do to make your pumpkin grow. Check out these Giant Pumpkins and see for yourself just how big pumpkins can get.

2. Visit a real pumpkin farm. The Howell Family wants you to visit their pumpkin patch. You can tour their farm by exploring the on-line map. Using the map legend, navigate your way through the farm. Then, visit the Swan Family pumpkin patch. Use their map to make your way through their farm taking notice of the similarities and differences from the Howell Family farm. After comparing the two farms, create your own map of a pumpkin farm.

3. Do you want to read a book about pumpkins? The Pumpkin Book by David Lumerman has many faces of pumpkins that you can see and read about for yourself. Read the story and be sure to pay attention to the pumpkin faces. Draw a picture of your favorite pumpkin face and write a description of why the face you chose was your favorite.

4. How well do you put a puzzle together? Test your pumpkin skills by putting together this Pumpkin Jigsaw Puzzle. See how fast you can put the puzzle together. Put it together and record your time. Print your picture out when you are finished. For a challenge, make your puzzle even harder by increasing the number of puzzle pieces.

5. Do you enjoy carving pumpkins? Find out How to Pick and How to Carve a real pumpkin. Draw a picture of a pumpkin you would pick from a patch that would be good for carving. Then, draw a picture of what your pumpkin would look like after you carve it. Now it's time to Carve Your Own Pumpkin. Create a jack-o-lantern that you design on your very own without even using a knife. After you have designed your jack-o-latern, be sure to print it out. Be prepared to share your pumpkins with the class and summarize the steps for carving a pumpkin.

The Evaluation:

Your individual grade will be determined as outlined below.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Develop a plan for growing pumpkins.	The student knows one step for growing pumpkins and includes it in the plan.	The student knows two steps for growing pumpkins and includes them in the plan.	The student knows most steps for growing pumpkins and includes them in the plan.	The student knows all the steps for growing pumpkins and includes them in the plan.
Describes the parts of a pumpkin farm and creates poster of a farm.	The student knows that a pumpkin farm is made up of different parts but cannot identify the parts.	The student knows that a pumpkin farm is made up of several different parts and can describe one part of a pumpkin farm.	The student knows that a pumpkin farm is made up of several different parts, describes two parts of a pumpkin farm, and creates a poster with the two parts of a farm.	The student knows that a pumpkin farm is made up of several different parts, describes at least four parts of a pumpkin farm, and creates a poster with four parts of a farm.
Chooses favorite pumpkin face.	The student cannot identify favorite pumpkin face but can recall faces from the book.	The student identifies favorite pumpkin face but gives no reason for choosing the face.	The student identifies favorite pumpkin face and draws a picture.	The student identifies favorite pumpkin face, draws a picture, and tells why the face was the favorite.
Explains how to carve a pumpkin.	The student can only name one of the steps for carving a pumpkin.	The student can explain a few of the steps for carving a pumpkin.	The student can explain most steps for carving a pumpkin.	The student can explain all the steps for carving a pumpkin.

Conclusion:

By completing this webquest, you should now be able to grow your own pumpkins. You should also know how to pick and carve your own pumpkin. Who knows? One day you may have your own pumpkin farm! Good luck in all your pumpkin adventures!

Credits & References:

I would like to thank kidsdomain.com for the great pictures and divider bar. I would also like to thank Dr. Lewis and Stan for all their help in creating this webquest.

Teacher Advice:

This lesson is designed for first grade science. However, it can be easily modified for other grades.

Before beginning the WebQuest, the students should be able to maneuver the mouse especially during the interactive games. They should also have some basic background knowledge of pumpkins.

This lesson can be completed in a week. One day should be devoted to each of the processes. It is set up to be completed individually, but parts of the WebQuest could be completed in groups.

The students will need an adult to assist them in the completion of the WebQuest activities. Parents, teachers, or teacher assistants need to help the students read through the text and move through the webquest. However, students should make all their own decisions once they understand what they need to do.

This WebQuest is simple enough for a novice teacher to use in the classroom. The only experience it requires is being able to navigate the internet.

A suggestion for a culminating activity would be to take the students on a field trip to a real pumpkin patch.

Created by Lisa Holcombe for EDU 506 @ FHU School of Education by Dr. Bruce Lewis on November 27, 2001.