This is an instructional unit dealing with, everyone's favorite fall vegetable, a pumpkin.

Entry level skills, cognitive, motivational, and affective characteristics

-This lesson is targeted towards a third grade class. Most of the children in a third grade class will be in the pre-operational or concrete stage of learning. The students will be learning about pumpkins, a seasonal vegetable that has many uses in our culture.

Broad statement of what students will do or learn.

-The goal is for students to learn about pumpkins. They will learn things like recipes, history of a Jack O' Lantern, different ways to carve a pumpkin, and interesting facts about pumpkins.

Specific outcomes you wish students to achieve. Use this to narrow the

scope of your lesson.

-The students will create fine motor skills as they carve pumpkins. They will also learn the proper way to handle a knife or cutting utensil to carve a pumpkin. The students will all create their own virtual pumpkin. Students will develop their own myth about the Jack O' Lantern. And finally, the students will learn safety tips when they are out Trick or Treating.

-During this time I would like to focus on safety. This unit gives children ideas of creative things they could do with their pumpkins. Teaching the children how to use a knife or cutting utensil will be of use to them while they carve a pumpkin at home. Teaching children safety tips before they go out trick or treating.

1.Why teach this? This is helpful information for the students to know. Students may not be knowledgeable about these safety tips. Every student will take a note home telling the parents what they have learned and for the parents to review this information before they go out trick or treating or carve pumpkins. The students will also learn about everyone's favorite fall vegetable, the pumpkin. The students can prepare a dish, containing pumpkin, that they can share with the class.

2.Is it more than just verbal (declarative) knowledge? Yes, the information is not strictly verbal. The children will be carving pumpkins and will be very active in the learning process. The students will be using the computer, which is very interactive, to create their own virtual pumpkin.

3. Why use technology for this topic? It is an excellent source to generate ideas. Technology is a very interactive way for students to learn. The students will use the computer to generate different ideas on how they can carve their pumpkin. I've also found a really fun way to learn about safety tips.

1.How will you get students involved? The student will be involved by carving their own pumpkins and creating their own virtual pumpkin.

2.How will you engage learners in the task? The teacher will bring in a pumpkin and begin talking to the students about vegetables. The teacher will pose questions to the students. For example, is a pumpkin a vegetable?

3.How will you facilitate deep processing? The teacher will instruct the students to carve a pumpkin. Before the students carve their pumpkin they are to go through the Crazy Pumpkin Track. After going through the track the student must make a draw their plans for their pumpkin. Then students will demonstrate what they have learned as the safely carve their pumpkin.

4.How will you encourage ongoing motivation? After the student finish carving their pumpkins there will be a contest for most creative pumpkin. The winner will receive a prize. The students will be motivated to do a good job, because they will be able to take their pumpkin home and "show it off" on their doorstep.

5.What will the teacher do? The teacher will demonstrate what the students will be doing and then the teacher will monitor the students very closely. It would be very wise to have a couple of parents or volunteers in the classroom while the students are carving the pumpkins. The students will be provided a plastic pumpkin knife (that can be purchased at a local grocery store) they may also use large spoons to scoop out the insides. This project will also be very messy so keeping everything clean will be a main objective of the teachers.

How will learning be evaluated? The teacher will monitor which students have been through the track. The students will also be evaluated on their pumpkins they've carved. Did the students perform the right steps as they carved the pumpkin? Did the students creatively carve their pumpkin? Did the students follow their plans?