Pumpkin Seeds Support Orphan Fund

Over the past several years, the teachers and students have developed a school garden as a focus for service-learning activities. Last year the fifth-grade students in Mr. Schaefer's class grew a giant pumpkin to be entered in the county pumpkin contest. This year's winner, who grew a pumpkin from home, donated the champion pumpkin to the class. The students decided to package and sell the giant pumpkin seeds and donate the money to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. The raising of the fifth-grade giant pumpkin has turned into an annual event that brings the whole school together. This pumpkin project involved multiple project phases that addressed the English-Language Arts, Science, and Mathematics academic content standards. Students sorted, cleaned, dried, counted, and packaged the seeds to sell. The students designed their own seed packets, researched pumpkin growing requirements, and included cultivation information with the seed packets. Students then contacted the local Wal-Mart to sell the seeds.