Title of Book:
Author:
Publisher/Year:
ISBN:
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
Margaret McNamara
Schwartz & Wade Books/2007
978-0-375-84014-2
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: 3rd - 4th
TEKS: (4.E) use division to solve problems (no more than one-digit divisors and three-digit
dividends without technology).
(4.14) Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 4 mathematics to
solve problems connected to everyday experiences and activities in and outside of school. The
student is expected to: (D) use tools such as real objects, manipulatives, and technology to solve
problems. (4.15) Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student communicates about
Grade 4 mathematics using informal language. The student is expected to: (A) explain and
record observations using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and
technology
Brief Summary: This story is about a teacher who brings three pumpkins, a small one, a
medium one and a large one, to school. He asks the students to predict which pumpkin will have
the most seeds. The students begin counting, using a different counting method for each
pumpkin, in search of which pumpkin has the most seeds!
Materials needed: small, medium and large pumpkins (depending on how many groups you
have), newspaper or chart paper to cover tables, paper, pencil, paper towels and sticky notes.
Suggested Activity:
Before reading the story, cut open the tops of all the pumpkins and cover the tables with chart
paper or newspaper. Put paper towels at each table for wiping off hands.
After reading the story, tell the class that they are going to conduct their own investigation to see
if what was in the story turns out to be true in class. Along with counting their seeds they will
also be dividing them evenly between group members and finding if there are any remainders.
Divide students into small groups (3 or 4).
Give each group a pumpkin.
Ask students to predict how many seeds will be in their pumpkin and write it down.
Have the students decide how they will count their seeds (by twos, fives or tens).
Students will remove and count seeds on the chart paper.
Each group will write their total of seeds on a teacher provided sticky note that says small,
medium or large on it.
Class will discuss which pumpkin had the most seeds and discuss if their investigation turned out
the same as in the book.
Students will then divide their seeds evenly among group members.
Students will write a division problem relating to their distribution of seeds. (Total seeds divided
by number of group members equals how many seeds each person got.)
Students will also write down any remainders.
Teacher will ask each group to read the division problem aloud and the teacher will write it on
the board and check for correctness.
References: Mathwire.com http://www.mathwire.com/themes/themepumpkin.html
While I did not get this exact activity from this website, this website has numerous math
activities that can be done with pumpkins.
Adapted by: Joan Diaz (2011)