Using the Season for Science and Math

Yokosuka Primary School first grade students from Mrs. McHaney’s class learned all about a popular harvest season fruit. During the scientific investigation, first graders analyzed pumpkins of different sizes and shapes to determine each fruit’s overall dimensions, weight, and external characteristics. 

With the assistance of adult volunteers, the students were able to collect information on their team’s pumpkin, counting the rib lines, measuring the height, determining the diameter, and weighing their fruit on a digital scale. After collecting their initial data, the students used their deductive reasoning from a previous fruit experiment and developed a hypothesis on whether the fruit would float. The volunteers helped them dunk the pumpkin into a large container of water and they recorded their surprising observations.

The first graders then were then able to investigate the contents of the ripe pumpkins, separating the pulp from the seeds and grouping the seeds into 2s and 10s to help gain an accurate count inside of each pumpkin. 

After recording their scientific data, the students compared their findings with their classmates and discussed the correlations of their data. They thought about questions such as: Did the size of the pumpkin determine the number of seeds?  Did the size of the pumpkins correspond to their measurements?  How did the pulp smell and feel?

Many students had never seen the inside of a pumpkin and were surprised by the active learning experience.  Many thanks to our helpful volunteers for helping to guide our first graders!