Erica Scully

Ms. Patanio, Grade 1 Clymore ES

Presented 10/7/15
Submitted 10/12/15
LESSON PLAN
JMU Elementary Education Program
Read Aloud: How Many Seeds In A Pumpkin?
CONTEXT OF LESSON
This book is appropriate for my first graders because it follows the classroom theme
which is celebrating/ studying fall throughout the month of October. From my previous
observations in the practicum classroom, the children have indicated curiosity and interest
for plants because they grew and studied their own. I was in their classroom on the official
first day of fall and many students approached me exclaiming how excited they were for the
season and festivities that are involved. This book not only is developmentally appropriate
for literary purposes, but also math because it features simple counting in groups of twos,
fives, and tens. I have noticed the past couple of weeks that the students are working on
addition, subtraction, and counting in groups of fives and tens so the book reflects these
areas of numbers. Students will learn that pumpkin seeds are eatable and contain vitamin A,
it takes 4 months for them to grow to their full size, and that it is a fruit and not a vegetable.
Overall, How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin is seasonally appropriate, filled with pumpkin facts,
and sends a good message for children.
OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT
Developmental Objectives
1. The students will
demonstrate comprehension
by predicting what will
happen next based on their
previous knowledge and
experiences with pumpkins
and math.

Assessment
I will listen for students to count in 5s or 10s when it gets to that
part in the story. I will also have them guess how many seeds are in
the big, medium, and small pumpkins and see what they know
about the differences in sizes. If they need guidance, I will ask them
I will record this information on attached data collection sheet.

2. The students will expand

their vocabulary during this
activity because they will be
asked questions regarding
the idea and characters of the
book.

I will ask the students to turn to their partner and tell them one
thing they picked out important about the overall theme of the
book. I will be listening for language that answers the who what
where why questions which will tell me how much they
comprehended. I will record this information on attached data
collection sheet.

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Erica Scully
Ms. Patanio, Grade 1 Clymore ES
Presented 10/7/15
Submitted 10/12/15

RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING (K & 1) OR FOUNDATION BLOCKS

(Preschool)
Reading- Grade One
1.8 The student will expand vocabulary.
b) Develop vocabulary by listening to and reading a variety of texts
1.9 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts.
c) Relate previous experiences to what is read.
d) Make and confirm predictions.
e) Ask and answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about what is read.
f) Identify characters, setting, and important events
MATERIALS NEEDED

How Many Seed In a Pumpkin?

Lesson Plan

PROCEDURE

BEFORE: I will prepare by reading the book a few times to my

roommates prior to coming to practicum to get extra practice. I will then
have the group of students sit around the table and I will show them the
cover of the book. I will pause and make sure that everyone has time to
get comfortable and see the book clearly. Then, I will ask a few initial
questions to spark their previous knowledge and memories about fall
and pumpkins. Do pumpkins have seeds? Where? Have you guys
ever opened one up and counted? How many do you think is in a
pumpkin? Once these questions are answered I will say Well lets see
what happens! and open the book.
DURING: See attached form
AFTER: I will ask students to turn to their partners and tell them one
thing they found interesting about the book and what they thought the
main idea was.

DIFFERENTIATION
I planned this read aloud to meet all of my students needs because it is festive and fun for
every student in the classroom. Since the story is all about fall and not about a religious
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Erica Scully
Ms. Patanio, Grade 1 Clymore ES
Presented 10/7/15
Submitted 10/12/15
holiday or tradition, all children regardless of culture background can enjoy and relate. The
questions that I plan on asking are straightforward and noncomplex, therefore creating the
opportunity for all students to participate regardless of their reading level during centers. I
chose a book that has clear words and pictures so all of the first grade students can understand.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT
IT?
If someone has not had the experience to visit a pumpkin patch or carve open a real
pumpkin, they might be confused about what the story is saying about the seeds inside. I will
do my best to make everyone feel comfortable in answering any questions they have if they
dont understand certain points that the book is trying to make. Another thing that could go
wrong is someone misunderstanding the lesson of the story is trying to get across- that size is
not a number. I will ensure comprehension of all students by looking for confused facial
expressions and clear up any uncertainty by going back and pointing to certain pictures
explaining that the smallest pumpkin actually ended up having the largest amount of seeds out
of all of them.

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Erica Scully
Ms. Patanio, Grade 1 Clymore ES
Presented 10/7/15
Submitted 10/12/15

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