During the 2023-24 school year, second grade students in Mrs. Smith’s class were the first to develop their green thumbs in the debut of a year-long project titled “Our Pumpkin Jack Journey.”
“I was so excited at Mrs. Smith's project idea! What a memorable learning experience for her students - I am confident they'll tell tales of Pumpkin Jack for years to come!” said Grades UPK-2 Principal Christina Frank.
The goal of the project was for students to understand the life cycle of a pumpkin. From planting seeds to the decomposition process, students cataloged the cycle throughout the school year in a personal observation book.
“This project is part of our science unit. One of our standards in science education at second grade is ‘what do plants need to grow’ so we tied this hands-on project into not only science, but writing and literature as well.” Mrs. Smith said.
Starting Before the Roots
The project began in October when the students first learned about a pumpkin’s life cycle followed by a reading of ‘Pumpkin Jack’ by Will Hubbell. A Jack-O-Lantern containing the pulp and seeds was then placed in an empty cheese ball container with the bottom lined with soil. After four months, the pumpkin was completely decomposed with students noting that sprouts were emerging from the top of the pumpkin remains. The sprouts were then planted in 2 window boxes. The boxes were watered by students every few days. During Spring Break, Principal Mrs. Frank and Office Secretary Ms. King ensured the sprouts were watered and well cared for.
“I initially found this experiment online and it said ‘When you take the lid off, it smells really bad. So, we made this big deal about going in the hallway to avoid smelling up the classroom. We sat in a big circle in the hallway where one of my students, Joplin, was brave enough to open the lid, only to find out that there was no smell at all,” Mrs. Smith said.
The Fruits of Their Labor
In early May, Maintenance Ground Worker Mr. Spears, who also raises and sells pumpkins part time, advised the class to plant the sprouts outside. On June 11, the students had transferred all the sprouts to the yard so that they could soak in the sunlight outdoors. Due to the nurturing care from the staff and students, two pumpkins were already growing! Mrs. Smith recalls that her initial goal was for at least one pumpkin to grow.
With the class now being in third grade this school year – on Oct. 11, students participating in the project regrouped in the yard and were surprised to see that they had 8 pumpkins to choose from! Numbers were drawn to determine who would cut them off the vines and harvest them. Each third grade classroom was able to have two pumpkins each and Mrs. Smith was able to keep two for her second grade class so the project can begin anew this year.
What The Future Holds for Pumpkin Jack
The project has proven to be a great success for student engagement. The students had an absolute blast getting to learn about plant life cycles hands on and harvesting the rewards in the end. The students had shared their thoughts about the experience with the Pumpkin Jack Project. JFK student Tyler said that “This project was cool and one time Jack looked like a grandpa.” Another student, Elijah said that he “liked that he didn’t smell when we opened the container.” Isabella added that if she got a pumpkin, she would like to do this project again at her house.
Mrs. Smith confirmed that she plans to do this project again for future classes. In addition, another JFK Elementary second grade teacher, Mrs. Williams anticipates conducting the project in her classroom this year. Mrs. Williams stated that she is looking forward to bringing the project to even more students in the school.
Like the life cycle of a pumpkin, the project will begin anew from the ground up this school year with current grade 2 students who are determined to earn their green thumb as well.