Monday, August 25, 2014

Pumpkin Unit

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I love all things pumpkin! This fall I will be doing a pumpkin unit in Spanish with my younger elementary students. Here are the resources that I have pulled together to use...

Vocabulary
La calabaza-pumpkin
El pedúnculo-stem
El zarcillo-tendril
La cáscara-shell, peel, skin
La pulpa-pulp, flesh
Las semillas-seeds
La placenta-membrane (the stringy stuff that surrounds the seeds)
La flor-flower
El retoño-sprout
La planta-plant
Las rayas-stripes (lines on the pumpkin shell)

{It includes vocabulary posters, parts of a pumpkin and life cycle worksheets, and some science investigation sheets. I also used the vocabulary cards provided to make a Go Fish and Memory game. This unit is really the backbone of my lessons.}

Artificial Mini Pumpkins
{These can be used for counting and reviewing parts of a pumpkin. They can also be hidden around a room. The teacher gives instructions in Spanish for the students to find the pumpkins. Great review for prepositions!}

Pumpkin Playdough
{My students will be required to make the parts of a pumpkin as I call them out in Spanish.}

Teaching Ordinal Numbers
{When you are teaching life cycles it is a great time to teach the ordinal numbers like primero, segundo, tercero, etc.}. For my pumpkin unit I have expanded it "from seed to pie".  We go through ten steps from the time you plant the seed until you eat the pie. Here is the simple list we will use for each ordinal number:

Primero-la semilla                                                      seed
Segundo-el retoño                                                      sprout
Tercero-la planta                                                        plant
Cuarto-la flor                                                              flower
Quinto-la calabaza verde                                           green pumpkin
Sexto-la calabaza madura                                          ripe/mature pumpkin
Séptimo-cocinar la calabaza                                      to cook the pumpkin
Octavo-mezclar los ingredients                                  to mix the ingredients
Noveno-cocinar el pastel de calabaza                        to cook the pie
Décimo-comer el pastel de calabaza                         to eat the pie      


Related Books

El círculo de las calabazas
Calabazas {Longer book...for students with more Spanish background}
El Otono {Not about pumpkins, but everything to do with fall}
Calabaza, Calabaza

Also see this post about how to incorporate the teaching of emotions during a pumpkin unit.

Here is a drawing game...you can play this game in small groups. The first person to complete all the parts of his or her pumpkin wins. You only need paper and pencil for each student, two dice and this printout... {By the way, each student starts the game by drawing a pumpkin shape on his/her paper before rolling the dice for the first time.}

Draw a Pumpkin Printable

Here is a science page you can use to investigate several pumpkins. All in Spanish!! You will need three different-sized pumpkins to do this activity.

A great way to review numbers, body parts, and a few pumpkin parts!!!

2 comments:

  1. Found your blog via Pinterest Debbie. This is adorable! Can't wait to do these activities with my kids this Friday! Gracias por compartir! Saludos :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. De nada! Glad you found something that you can use!

    ReplyDelete