Pumpkins preoccupy Pre-Primary children’s curiosities.

Children began their explorations with questions like what is a pumpkin and, where does it originate? They learned that “calabaza” is the Spanish word for pumpkin, and teachers set up a pumpkin patch for students to choose their own calabaza. They made observations about its color and texture, and the different parts like the stem and seeds. As a class, they measured their pumpkin’s height using blocks and charted the difference.

 

With art teacher Mario Argueta, they turned their observations into paintings, adding details like the vines from which pumpkins grow. Then, it was time for the sink or float challenge. They were introduced to the scientific inquiry process, moving from making predictions, observing outcomes, and making evidence-based conclusions. Most children hypothesized that the pumpkins would sink based on their weight and were overwhelmed with surprise as each pumpkin, no matter how small or large, managed to float rather than sink to the bottom.