NGSS: 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
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Back to Pumpkin Lesson Plan
Silly Pumpkins:
Just for Fun
(Or Fund-Raising)
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Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Visual Arts
Grade
K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Brief Description
Have fun -- and raise funds -- with pumpkins. Get decorating ideas too!
Objectives
Students will
think creatively as they transform a plain pumpkin into a work of art.
Keywords
pumpkin, contest, fundraising, fund-raising, fund-raiser, PTO, painting, decorate, decorating, Halloween, fruit, fall, autumn, October, September
Materials Needed
pumpkins of varying sizes
paints and other art supplies
Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students decorate pumpkins in fun or goofy ways. They might do the activity to decorate the classroom, just for fun, or to raise money for school activities. This activity could be turned into a contest, an auction, a roadside sale...
You probably don't want to involve students in carving pumpkins but that won't stop you from letting them have some fun by painting pumpkins or stenciling pumpkins (may require free registration).
Or how about these ideas?
Assign each student the name of a member of the school staff and have the student decorate a pumpkin to look like that person. Aside from the obvious physical features, the student might incorporate symbols related to that person's job.
Have students decorate their pumpkins as famous people in history.
Emphasize the fact that a pumpkin is a fruit by painting/decorating or otherwise disguising pumpkins to look like other fruits.
Still looking for more pumpkin-decorating ideas? The following pages might inspire additional ideas. If you use this activity as a fund-raiser, each class might take on one of the following ideas as a class theme.
Goofy PumpkinsA Family of PumpkinsWitchy PumpkinsSpellbound PumpkinDressed-Up PumpkinsSnowman PumpkinBlack Cat PumpkinAlien PumpkinGhost Pumpkins
Turn This Activity Into a School Fund-Raiser
It's too late to plant a pumpkin garden in your schoolyard to raise your own pumpkins, but you can check with local food distributors about purchasing pumpkins in bulk for this activity. Once students have decorated their pumpkins, you might make arrangements to sell them at a local store, hold an auction and sale at the next PTO meeting, or set up shop in the schoolyard on a Saturday morning and sell students' decorated pumpkins to the entire community.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
How about involving community members as judges in a pumpkin-decorating contest, then auctioning off the winning pumpkins? Because students will not be taking home their creations, you might want to present them with ribbons, certificates, and photos of their pumpkins.
More School Pumpkin PhotosDavis Creek Kindergarten's PumpkinsESL Photo Gallery: Painting Our Pumpkins
More Resources
Gourd and Pumpkin Painting
Tips on painting pumpkins, storing pumpkins, more.
What Works: Paint Pumpkins
Tips for a large-group painting effort.
Pumpkin Painting: Put Down That Knife!
More simple ideas for creating a pumpkin work of art.
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Gary Hopkins
National Standards
FINE ARTS: Visual ArtsGRADES K - 4NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and ProcessesNA-VA.K-4.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and IdeasGRADES 5 - 8NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and ProcessesNA-VA.5-8.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and IdeasGRADES 9 - 12NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and ProcessesNA-VA.9-12.3 Choosing and Evaluating A Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas
Find more great fun activities in Education World's Awesome Autumn and Spook-tacular Halloween archives.
Click here to return to this week's Pick a Pumpkin Activity lesson plan page.
October
Every-Day Edits
Use Every-Day Edits to build language skills, test scores, and cultural literacy. Be sure to see our tips for using Every-Day Edits in your classroom.
HalloweenPumpkinsColumbus DayAutumn FunJimmy CarterGandhiSputnik LaunchedTecumsehEleanor RooseveltThe White HousePresident EisenhowerWilliam PennPeanuts Comic StripPablo PicassoPresident Theodore RooseveltStatue of LibertyStock Market Crash of 1929President John AdamsMount RushmoreNevada, the 36th StateArthur and His TV Friends"Molly Pitcher"
Looking for ideas for using Every-Day Edits in your classroom? See our idea file.
Run out of Every-Day Edit activities for the month of October? Check out our Xtra activities for any time of year.
Target Audience: This course was created to help educators within school communities like teachers, administration, STEM educators, school leaders and media specialists. In addition, those in the out-of-time school time profession in before and after school programs, summer camps or public libraries and museums will benefit from the information in this course about creating a makerspace.
Course Purpose: The purpose of this e-course is to plan and create a unique, meaningful, and relevant makerspace for your school community, by becoming familiar with the maker movement and makerspace best practices, in K-12. The maker movement has been a revolution in education. All educational stakeholders need to find ways to leverage this movement.
Course Description: The online course will be based on a series of instructor videos and readings that guide participants through the process of creating an authentic, sustainable makerspace for their school community.
Course Goals: The information provided in this course will teach you the following.
You will learn to:
Plan, create and launch a makerspace in your school, library or classroom
Choose the materials and supplies that will best support your makerspace
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Unleash student creativity
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
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