PUMPKIN FUN

LEARN ABOUT PUMPKINS WITH THIS FUN

Webquest!
Gail Skroback Hennessey
Even though Pumpkins are part of the cucumber and squash family,
pumpkins are considered fruit. And, pumpkins are the worlds largest
of all fruits! Did you know that pumpkins are 90% water or that the
worlds largest pumpkin pie was made in New Bremen, Ohio, in
2010? The worlds largest pumpkin pie used 2796 eggs, 14.5
pounds of cinnamon, 525 pounds of sugar,109 gallons of evaporated

milk, 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin and weighed 3699 pounds.

Learn more about the pumpkin with this fun and informative
webquest....perfect for this time of year!
1. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large
melon" which is "pepon." The French turned the word into "pompon."
The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion. What are three popular
stories where pumpkins are mentioned? ____________ ,
_______________ and _____________ Find the answer at this
link: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/history.html
2. Pumpkins are in the same family which includes squash and
cucumbers. They are considered a fruit and not a vegetable.
Pumpkins date back to 7000 to 5500 BC , to the Central American
country of _________________. Where is the the self proclaimed
"Pumpkin Capital of the World"?________________ Which
company that makes lots of canned pumpkin is found in this city?
_________________Find the answers at this link: http://
www.pumpkinnook.com/facts.htm.
3. In addition to using pumpkins as a food, Native Americans dried
strips of flatten pumpkin strips to weave them into
this.____________ Beets, potatoes and this vegetable was used for
carving Jack-o-Lanterns before pumpkins became popular.
___________. Immigrants from this country brought the idea of
Jack-O-Lanterns to the United States.___________,Find the
answers at this link: http://pumpkin-patch.com/facts.html
4. Native Americans called pumpkins,"isqoutm squash. What were
two medical uses for which people thought pumpkins could be used?
______________and _______________. Find the answer at this
link:http://www.hsgpurchasing.com/Articles/pumpkin.htm
5. Keene, New Hampshire, held the record for the most lit pumpkins
for many years. In 2006, which city broke Keenes record?

_____________ How many lit pumpkins did they have?

______________In 2013, Keene once again took over the title for
the most lit pumpkins. How many were lit?_____________ (This
record still stands as of 2016) Find the answers at this link: http://
gonewengland.about.com/od/newenglandfallevents/ig/KeenePumpkin-Festival/
6. What is Pumpkin Chuckin?___________________ What is the
record distance?____________ Find the answers at this link:
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/facts/chuckin.htm
7. You can find pumpkins that are green, yellow, red, white, blue,
even tan. Giant pumpkin growers say some pumpkins can grow as
much as 35 pounds per day! In 2016, a pumpkin grown in Germany
weighed 2623 pounds! In the United States, a pumpkin grown in the
state of ______ topped the scales at _________pounds! It set a
record for the heaviest pumpkin ever grown in North America. Find
the answers at this link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/
morning-mix/wp/2016/10/11/rhode-island-mans-giant-pumpkin-sets-anorth-american-record-for-massive-gourds/

8. Pumpkin states include Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and

Ohio. The pumpkins pulp, also called its meat, is the part you can use
to cook with. What part of the pumpkin is called the brains?
_______________ What is the proper name for this part of a
pumpkin?___________What do tendrils of a pumpkin do during the
growing season?_______________What is the name for the
indented ridges from top to bottom on the outside of a pumpkin?
___________ Find the answers at this link: http://
www.pumpkinnook.com/facts/anatomy.htm
9. The earliest pumpkin pie was when colonists opened a pumpkin
and removed the seeds. The pumpkin was then filled with honey,

milk and spices. The pumpkin was then baked before eating it. In
The Great Pumpkin, which two events are the Charlie Brown
characters eager to do?__________ Which character doesnt plan
to do either activity?______________Why?
___________________ How do the other kids treat this character
for his beliefs?____________ What costume does Snoopy wear to
go treat or treating? __________ Which character has a difficult
time deciding what to do that night?___________Find the answer
at this link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060550/plotsummary
10. In colonial America, pumpkins were used in the making of
the crust for a pie and not as the filling! Which five countries
produce the most pumpkins?__________. Which five
states are the top growers of pumpkins?
_______________ Which creature is VERY important
in the growing of pumpkins?__________In which
country is the sweet treat, kadu ka halwa (made of sugar,
pumpkin and butter)popular?_____________Where is
the only place that pumpkins arent able to grow?
____________Find the answers at this link: http://
factsforkids.net/pumpkin-facts-for-kids/ (There may be an ad in
right-top of page:click to pause)
Comprehension Questions:
1. From which country did the idea of Jack-o-Lanterns originate. What
were three other things used to make Jack=O-Lanterns? List THREE fact
about this country where Jack-O-Lanterns originated.
2. From which country(in 2016) was the worlds heaviest pumpkin grown?
How many pounds did it weigh? About how many pounds per day can a
pumpkin grow?
3.What were two medical uses of pumpkins?
4. Name two stories that involve pumpkins.

5. From which part of the world did pumpkins originate?

6. Describe the earliest pumpkin pie of colonial America.

TEACHER PAGE:
Before doing the webquest, ask the students what prior knowledge
they may have about pumpkins. Make text-to-self connections and
ask the students if they carve pumpkins in the fall or if they paint
pumpkins. Ask the students if they like pumpkin pie. Etc. Have
students work in small groups to do the webquest. Regroup and
discuss after students have finished the activity. Perhaps, have groups
of students make 5 comprehension questions to exchange with
another group.
Extension Activities:
1. Draw/color a pumpkin and write 5 facts learned about pumpkins
on your drawing.
2. Pretend you are a pumpkin sitting on a front porch on Halloween
night. What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel? Etc.
Write a story about your evening.
3. Review the quotes about pumpkins at this link: http://
www.pumpkinnook.com/fun/pquote.htm Give the students
several of the quotes and have them illustrate one of them.

4. Explain the Japanese poem called a haiku. (3 lines, 5-7-5 syllables

per line, use description, no sentence structure needed. ) Write a
Haiku about a pumpkin. Hint: For syllables. Have students place
their hand under their chin and say the word slowly. Every time
the chin drops is a syllable. For example: hippopotamus has 5 chin
drops or is a 5 syllable word.
5. Have the small groups that completed the webquest create a
comprehension activity of 7 questions to exchange with another
student.
6. Have groups of students make 5 comprehension questions to
exchange with another group to answer.
7. Review tips on how to grow a giant pumpkin. Give groups of
students the ten steps on different index cards. Have the students
place the steps in proper sequencing.http://
www.backyardgardener.com/wcgp/tips/10steps/10steps.html
Great for Language Arts Common Core Standard.
8. What would YOU do with a giant pumpkin?
9. Learn about a pumpkin regatta: http://www.npr.org/
2012/10/08/162523060/in-pumpkin-regatta-its-toothy-grinsall-around Write a story about being in a pumpkin regatta. What
did you pumpkin boat look like(draw a picture). How did you manage
to steer your boat? How did you make out in the race?
10.For primary students: Read the story: Purple and the Pumpkin
Regatta. In this story, friends, Purple, Zing and Biggy Bear
participate in the annual pumpkin race. After they carve out their
pumpkins to sail, the race begins. Sounds like lots of fun but
something goes very wrong! A story about friendship over victory in

a race.
http://purpleturtle.com/shop/story-books/15-purple-and-thepumpkin-race.html
11. Show pictures of some of the fantastic pumpkin carvings of Ray
Villafane: http://villafanestudios.com

Check out my website for teachers/kids: http://www.gailhennessey.com

KEY:
1.The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Cinderella.
2. Mexico/ Morton, Illinois /Libby
3. mats/before the pumpkin?(turnips, beets,potatoes)/(Ireland, Scotland and England)
4. (remove freckles/ snake bites)
5. Boston, 30,128 lit pumpkins/ 30,851/
6. Using an air cannon to propel a pumpkin a pumpkin thousands of feet/ 4,4091 feet.
7. Switzerland/ 2,096.6/small car/ soup/sell them
8. slimy, mushy, mass of strings and seed/ fibrous strands/They twist around objects on
the ground to help anchor the vine and protect it from the wind/ /ribs
9. Treat or Treating and Halloween party/Linus, wants to wait for giant pumpkin to arrive/
make fun of him/WW1 flying ace/Sally
10. India, USA, China, Mexico and Canada/Indiana, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania,
Ohio/honeybees/India/Antarctica
KEY to Comprehension:
1. Ireland/ turnips, potatoes and beets
2. 35 pounds
3. get rid of freckles and cure snake bites
4. Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, Cinderella
5. Central America