Big Fat Orange Pumpkin

Our autumn learning has been dominated by the donation of a rather large pumpkin. We compared the size of it to other autumn harvest vegetables. We made it belts of string estimating how long they would have to be to fit it and comparing to the actual length required. We looked at other ways to measure it and some of us decided to estimate how many dinosaurs we could fit on the top of it and then worked it out. We weighed ourselves and the pumpkin on scales and the pumpkin was heavier than some of us!! We washed it and felt it and observed it closely using magnifying glasses. We wrote down words to describe it and instead of using them to write a poem wrote a brilliant version of Big Red Combine Harvester! We used our observations to help us describe it or liken it to something else. We enjoyed it so much we performed it to the whole school in assembly.
 
We learned about the parts of a pumpkin and the pumpkin life cycle in science.We learned about its texture by hammering in nails and after the top was cut off discovered the seeds inside and the flesh. There was an amazing smell and we all had a go at scooping out the flesh and cutting and stirring and mashing it. Eventually we documented the signs of decay as it began to rot and ended up on the compost. We can still peek at it and see what is happening.