First grade students conduct exploding pumpkin experiment
First grade students gathered to observe how many rubber bands it takes to make a pumpkin explode.
The demonstration lab concludes a science unit about plants. During the unit, students study the parts of a plant and discuss how flowers make seeds which are protected by the fruit. After the pumpkin exploded, students had an opportunity to look inside the fruit to see the seeds and observe what they had been learning in class first-hand.
This lab serves as a cross-curricular opportunity that supports students as they utilize science, writing, and math skills. Students were encouraged to make a hypothesis about how many rubber bands would be needed to explode the pumpkin, and they practiced keeping count of the number of rubber bands and collecting data with tally marks. Then, they used writing and communication skills to draft up the lab results.
“I love this demonstration because it is a memorable way to show how scientists use many skills, like math and writing, to conduct experiments,” explains Sara Cooper, lower school science teacher.
Way to go, first grade scientists!
