Pumpkin Mini Study

Sam

ple

file

Created and designed by Debbie Martin                      

Pumpkin Mini StudyThe Whole Word Publishing

         “The Word, the whole Word and nothing but the Word."Copyright © October 2010

by Debbie Martin 3627 D St.

Bremerton, Wa 98312All rights reserved.

Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser to reproduce        his book in whole or in part for non commercial individual or 

  classroom use only. Permission is not granted for school wide system  wide reproduction of materials. 

Clip art: Public domain.

Sam

ple

file

Pumpkin is a squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae (which also includes gourds). They are typically orange or yellow and also white

and have many creases running from the stem to the bottom. They have a thick shell on the outside, with

seeds and pulp on the inside.

stem

tendril

leaves

ribs

skinvine

Sam

ple

file

seeds

fibrous strands

meat

seed coat

Pumpkin seeds after shelling,

roasting, and salting.

Sam

ple

file

The StemLocated on the very top of the

pumpkin. It is brown to brownish green, and slightly curved. During the growing season, the stem is attached

to the vine. It is the umbilical cord, bringing nutrients to grow the fruit.

The TendrilSometimes attached to the stem are thin, hairlike "tendrils". During the growing season, tendrils on the vine

are green. They twist around objects on the ground to help anchor the vine

and protect it from the wind.

The LeavesThe leaves of a pumpkin absorb

energy from the sun for plant and fruit growth. The stem doesn't

have leaves. The vine does.

Sam

ple

file

The Skin and RibsThe thin, shiny, orange outer layer of a pumpkin is called the skin. It is also called the "rind". It is a protective

layer to keep insects and disease out of the fruit. It is not edible.

On the outside of a pumpkin, there are indented ridges running from top to bottom.

These are called ribs. Sometimes, they are shallow. Sometimes, they are deep.

The Fibrous StandsGrowing from the fibrous

strands are pumpkin seeds.

The MeatThis is the yummy part of

the pumpkin that you use to cook with.

Sam

ple

file

The Seeds and Seed CoatSeeds are the beginning of next years pumpkins. Seeds

are also a delicious and nutritious snack. A pumpkin

has hundreds of seeds. The seed coat, also called "seed jacket",. It is the

outer layer of the seed. God provides this to protect the nut inside that will eventually emerge into a

pumpkin plant. Called Pepita's from Mexican

Spanish meaning Pepita de calabaza "little seed of squash." The seeds are also good sources

of protein, and the essential minerals. 25 grams of Pepita's

(about a US quarter-cup) can provide over 20 per cent of the recommended daily iron intake, as well as zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and

potassium. Lightly roasted seeds provide better nutrition than dark ones, as to much heat destroys

some of their nutritional value.

Sam

ple

file

"For pottage and puddings and custard and pies,

Our pumpkins and parsnip are common supplies:

We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,

If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon." (Those words were spoken in 1639 by a pilgrim describing the hardships of the first

coming to America.)

Pumpkins are native to the America and related to

squashes, cucumbers, and cantaloupes. Pumpkins are

believed to have originated in Central America. Seeds from

related plants have been found in Mexico.Native American Indians used

pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. When white settlers

arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians. Pumpkin soon became a staple in their

diets, too. They also brought seeds

Sam

ple

file

back to Europe, where they quickly became popular. Just like today, early settlers used pumpkins in a

wide variety of recipes, from desserts to stews and soups. In addition to cooking with pumpkins, they also

dried the shells and cut strips to weave into mats. The pumpkin pie originated when the colonists cut

off the head of the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices, and honey. Then they baked the pumpkin in hot ashes. Also,

early colonists used pumpkin meat as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

Pumpkin Recipe's From the 1700's.

Sam

ple

file

The World's Largest Pumpkin Pie was made in New Bremen,

Ohio at the New Bremen Pumpkinfest. It was created on September 25, 2010. The pie consisted of 1,212 pounds of

pumpkin, 119 gallons of evaporated milk, 2,796 eggs, 7 pounds of salt, 14.5

pounds of cinnamon, 3 pounds of pumpkin spices, and 525 pounds of sugar. The final pie weighed 3,699

pounds and was 20 feet in diameter!

The worlds largest pumpkin for 2010 was grown by Chris Stevens of

New Richmond, Wisconsin. It weighed 1,810.5 pounds! This beat the 2009 world's record of the

world's largest pumpkin which was only 1,725 pounds. Weigh-off competitions for giant pumpkins are a

popular festival activity. The Atlantic Giant is the common name for a pumpkin variety bred to produce huge fruit.

The uniqueness of this variety

Sam

ple

file

lies in its production of fruits more massive than those produced by any other plant in the world. Fruit

can exceed 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter!The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon ,

which is Greek for “large melon". The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists

changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin."

Pumpkins are have both male and female flowers on the same plant. The female flower is distinguished by the small ovary at the base of the petals which turns into the

fruit (or pumpkin). These bright and colorful flowers have extremely

short life spans and may only open for as short a time as one day. The color of pumpkins is comes from the orange pigments abundant in them.

The main nutrients are lutein, alpha and beta carotene. The beta carotene helps produce vitamin

A in the body.

Sam

ple

file

Pumpkins are pollinated by the squash bee and the honey bee. One bee hive per acre is recommended by the United States of America (US) Department of Agriculture

for pollinating pumpkins. Pumpkins are grown all around

the world for a variety of reasons ranging from

agricultural purposes (such as animal feed) to commercial

and ornamental sales. Out of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to

produce pumpkins; the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Mexico, India and China. The traditional American

pumpkin is the Connecticut Field variety.

As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds (680,000,000 kilograms) of pumpkins are produced each

year! The top pumpkin-producing states in the U.S. include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,

Sam

ple

file

Pennsylvania and California. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois. Nestle produces 85% of the processed pumpkin in the U.S. In the fall of 2008, rain in Illinois devastated the Nestle crop, resulting in a shortage affecting the

entire country during the Thanksgiving holiday season.

Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is

usually planted in early July. The specific

conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require

that soil temperatures three inches (7.62 centimeters) deep are at least 60 degrees

Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius) and soil that holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water or because of cold temperatures and from sandy soil or soil with poor water filtration.

Pumpkins are rather hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged,

the plant can very quickly re-grow secondary vines to replace what was removed.

Sam

ple

file

Pumpkin seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a thick, green-red oil that is produced from roasted pumpkin seeds. When used

for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its strong

flavor. It is used in cooking mostly in central and eastern Europe. It is considered a delicacy in

Austria, where a little is often added in traditional local cuisine on pumpkin soup and on potato salad. In some restaurants in Vienna, they add a few drops on vanilla ice cream. Pumpkin seed oil contains essential fatty acids that help maintain healthy blood vessels,

nerves and tissues.

A pumpkin seed oil factory in Europe.

Sam

ple

file

ChuckingPumpkin chucking is a competitive

activity in which teams build various mechanical devices

designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible. Catapults, trebuchets,

ballistas, air cannons and slingshots are the most common

mechanisms. Some pumpkin chuckers breed and grow special varieties of pumpkin under specialized

conditions to improve the pumpkin's chances of surviving a throw.

catapult trebuchet

trebuchetSa

mpl

e file

The Frost Is on the PumpkinBy Willie Nemeth

The frost is on the pumpkinthe trees are lit on fire,

As Autumn creeps and daylight dimswe don our warm attire.

When seasons change the world declaresthe brilliant artists stroke,Man nor beast can recreatethe wonder God hath spoke.

Some where in the arctic norththe winter tempest swells,

Its icy hand will soon extendcaressing hill and dale.

Fear not dear friend the seasons changestand tall, erect, and strong,

The plan that God hath wrought for youwill blossom before long.

Your waiting will reveal the handbehind the seasons curtain,

To clearly show the lords intent where once you were uncertain.

The snow will melt on frozen fieldsthe landscape will renew,

With time to walk and praise and laughand sip the morning dew.

(This poem is courtesy of www.paulmurphybooks.com)

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnip are common supplies: 

We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnip are common supplies:

We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnip are common supplies: We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins, we should be

undoon.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnip

are common supplies: We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins,

we should be undoon.

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and

puddings and custard and pies, Our

pumpkins and parsnip

Sam

ple

file

are common supplies: We

have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at

noon, If it were not for

Sam

ple

file

pumpkins, we should be undoon.

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and

custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnip are common supplies: We have

pumpkins at

Sam

ple

file

morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for

pumpkins, we should be undoon.

Sam

ple

file

For pottage and puddings and custard

and pies, Our pumpkins and

parsnip are common supplies: We have

Sam

ple

file

pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,

If it were not for pumpkins, we should be

undoon.

Sam

ple

file

PumpkinsOptional Questions

1. Pumpkin is a squash of the genus _____________ and the family _________________(which also includes gourds).

2. Describe the following parts of a pumpkin:The stem: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The tendril:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The leaves: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

The skin and ribs:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The fibrous stands:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The meat:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The seeds and seed coat:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is a pumpkin seed called in Spanish:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

4. The pumpkin pie originated when the _____________ cut off the head of the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with __________, __________, and ______________. Then they baked the pumpkin in hot ashes. Also, early colonists used pumpkin meat as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

5. Where was the worlds largest pumpkin pie made?_______________________________________

6. How much did the world's largest pumpkin pie weigh and how many feet in diameter was it?______________________________________________________________________________

7. How much did the world's largest pumpkin weigh?_______________________________________

8. What is the variety of pumpkin that produces huge fruit?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

9. What two bees pollinate pumpkins?______________________________________________________________________________

10. How many pounds of pumpkin are produced each year in the United States?_______________________________________

11. Name the five states that produce the most pumpkin._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Pumpkin seed oil contains essential fatty acids that help maintain ________________________, _______________ and _______________ .

13. What is pumpkin chucking?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam

ple

file

Sam

ple

file

Sam

ple

file