Mini Fall Unit- Leaves and Pumpkins

This week we were slated to study Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Arnold, but it did not come in time by ILL. After ordering a bunch of the next books in line for our studies, I decided that I wasn't prepared to move on from that fall focus. So, I declared this week a study of fall and leaves and pumpkins. Hopefully next week we'll continue on with Pumpkin Runner (either because the ILL comes through or it will be in at Borders where I just ordered it) which is set in Australia and will give us a unique opportunity to talk about weather in the southern vs northern hemispheres.

Activities on Deck for This Week!

Leaf graph- collect and graph the colors we find (though this may end up being a poll considering it's been so wet!)

Fall Poetry- we'll talk about what makes a poem and read two. They'll even try to write one about fall

Adjectives- We made a list of words describing fall and defined what an adjective is. I gave them leaves to record the words on. I will cut them about and put them up. Stay tuned for a picture of our adjective leaf collage!

Weather- discuss changes in the weather for fall and continue on with our weather calendar. We'll be checking temperature daily and repositioning our rain guage out on the mailbox! We'll note the first frost.

What do the changes in weather mean for the plants and animals? Which animals hibernate? Migrate? Forage?

Draw Write Now- lesson pumpkin drawing

Pumpkins- measure the circumference of our pumpkins (We have five- four collected back at hayride time and one bought today with our applesauce apples- the big one), observe other differences, measure weight (if possible on our bathroom scale)

The kids will use a sharpie to draw on their pumpkins or they'll have the choice to decoupage their pumpkin with red/orange/yellow/brown tissue paper for an indoor centerpiece. The big one we'll carve this weekend.

Complete a pumpkin book from Enchanted Learning along with other puzzles and coloring related to our theme.

Resources

Fall by Jane Claire Lambert FIAR digital

Homeschool Share - Pumpkin Jack

Enchanted Learning

Evan Moor Teacher Filebox

Bingo Game Maker - fall

Fall Unit Page

Books

Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

Winter Days in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

It's Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons

From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer

The Pumpkin Patch by Elizabeth King

Ranger Rick - October

Your Big Backyard- October

Wild Animal Baby - October

Busy Chipmunk by Kirsten Hall

Scholastic's Pipsqueak's Maze Halloween- a book of beginner mazes

Magic School Bus - The Wild Leaf Ride - Level 2 reader

If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

Poppleton in Fall by Cynthia Rylant

Clifford's First Autumn by Norman Bridwell

Why do the Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro

A Day at the Apple Orchard by Megan Faulkner and Adam Krawesky

How do Apples Grow by Betsy Maestro

Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard Van Gelden