Pumpkin Creative Writing Project - Perfect for Fall or Halloween
Need a fall writing idea that you can print and implement in an instant for some Fall or Halloween activity fun? This pumpkin writing project has been a hit every year that I’ve set aside the time for this creative writing unit! Let me share with you my Pumpkin Personalities creative writing and vocabulary project outline.
Over the years, I've used this writing project for different holidays--Halloween/fall, winter, and Valentines--to provide something educational, worthwhile, and fun for my 4th and 5th graders during those holidays when a par-TAY is expected, but I have the time to do something more in-depth to create an academic reason to celebrate.
SIDENOTE: If you knew me in real life, you'd know we don't ever "party" in my classroom. But, we do have fun educational celebrations {wink}. Over the years, I've come to realize that there's nothing wrong with letting your hair down a few times a year and having a little fun with your students.
Whether you are a big classroom reveler or you are still in the "we don't have parties camp," I think this fall creative writing project will be perfect for your classroom.
If you are able to celebrate on Halloween day, 2-3 weeks to prepare the stories and make the pumpkins should be sufficient.
In this writing unit, students write a creative piece about a pumpkin with a given character trait—we have amiable, mesmerized, morose, petrified, and garrulous pumpkins joining us on this writing journey! Not sure what those words mean? Your students will soon learn!
I like to focus on imaginative narratives for this unit, but if you are in a time crunch, you could also focus on writing poetry or let students decide. Although pumpkins are the focus on this unit, and creative writing is fun, the main reason I implement this unit is to inspire students to enjoy learning about interesting vocabulary words. This project is often an instant vocabulary boost for my students!
Towards the end of the unit, students create a 3D pumpkin character to go along with their story and add to the celebration. Another option is for students to decorate a cardstock pumpkin (and I have done this in the past when I was in a time crunch.)
Here's what we do during this Pumpkin Personalities Unit:
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1. Launch the Mini-Writing Unit
I launch this unit with a picture book like The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz. {You can listen to the book here on youtube.} I usually read just one picture book, but it would be absolutely perfect to read 3-4 different short read alouds prior to launching this unit.
Most of the pumpkin-themed books I have found are very short, so this wouldn't be hard to do. Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell is a great choice. I also like to use Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant. Although Scarecrow it is not a book centered around pumpkins, the personification and perspective of the scarecrow is a great model for how I want my students to write their pieces.
2. Choose Character Traits
Boisterous, avaricious, timid, optimistic!
It’s time to choose a character trait!
I have each student choose a pumpkin trait from a set of 30 adjectives I have generated for the project. Each student receives a different trait so that students learn about as many different words as possible during this project.
3. Use Graphic Organizers
I created different graphic organizers for students to use in exploring their word. Students use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to learn definitions, synonyms, and antonyms of their word and complete the graphic organizers. Word exploration takes at least 1-2 writing workshop periods. We love to use wordhippo to help us in our research, but thesauruses are also necessary and helpful.
4. Start Writing!
Once students have a good grasp on the meaning of their word, including nuances, synonyms, and antonyms, it’s time to start planning their story or writing piece. To move students into their pumpkin character creative writing project, I introduce the "character questionnaire" that they use to explore their character, to deepen their understanding of the trait, and to brainstorm and plan their stories. As students plan their stories, I am sure to check their ideas and talk to them about whether or not their character's actions represent the character trait they are supposed to.
Sometimes students incorporate character change into their story--for example, an amiable pumpkin could be ruthless at the beginning of the story, but along the way, perhaps he has remorse and changes his ways.
Some of your writing lessons could even aim for teaching students to create character change in their stories and this would allow them to utilize their synonyms and antonyms more easily. A simple "beginning, middle, and end" graphic organizer is perfect for having students describe the character at the beginning, think about events that could happen to cause the character to change, then describe the character at the end.
5. Draft & Publish
Next, students draft and publish their story. They also sketch out and plan what their character looks like by drawing him/her on a sheet of paper. I give students a sheet of facial expressions to help guide their artwork.
6. Decorate!!!
THIS IS WHERE YOU GO ALL OUT! YOU PARTY ANIMAL ;) The next step is pumpkin decoration day! I gather tons of craft items that students can use to decorate a real pumpkin. Prior to decoration day, I send a letter home about the project and ask for donations of different decorating items that students can use on their pumpkins. Yarn, different sizes of googly eyes, pom poms, ric-rack, acrylic paint, and pipe cleaners are a great start! Hot glue guns and extra glue sticks will also be needed on decorating day (I personally DO NOT allow students to use the hot glue gun, but have parents man a hot glue station to help them place decorations on their pumpkins).
On decoration day, I invite a few parents to come help us decorate our pumpkins and set aside 1-2 hours for this. If you do not want to make 3D pumpkins, students can simply design their pumpkin character on the pumpkin template. I’ve included an editable parent/guardian letter about this project that you can modify to fit your needs and send home to request materials for this project!
7. Celebrate!
And the very last step is to CELEBRATE!
To prepare for the celebration, you can have students' pumpkin characters and stories set up around the classroom. Readers move from story to story leaving “Pumpkin Praises” (aka positive feedback) for the writer. My students love to celebrate this way AND the room is always quiet with everyone reading happily.
This writing celebration is PERFECT for Halloween day or sometime in the fall. What could be better than your students rotating the room, reading one another's stories in near silence, and checking out one another’s pumpkin characters? Not to mention, having students write compliments to each writer on a sticky note is pretty heartwarming as students express kind words to one another. I think this pumpkin writing project is the perfect way to embrace a bit of the craziness of Halloween while also giving your students more reasons to be excited and purposeful way to channel that energy!
Take the Learning Deeper
One last thing I do for the celebration is have students complete a word chart after reading each story. They simply fill in a definition, synonyms, and antonyms for the word that was the focus on their classmate's story. This is a great way to reinforce vocabulary learning!
I’ve also included two vocabulary centers that you can use after you have introduced the writing project—”Which of These Does Not Belong?” and “Definition Match Ups." In “Which of These Does Not Belong?” students choose one word from a list of 4 that is not a good match for the given character trait. Students must explain the reason the word does not belong. In the definition match ups, you cut apart the character traits and the definitions and mix them up. Students must match the vocabulary term with the correct definition.
Use these activities during your unit and after your writing celebration to give students more exposure and opportunity to learn the character traits they encountered during the unit. (Both activities include recording sheets and answer keys).
Add Some Pumpkin Party Sweetness
To make this celebration even SWEETER, serve pumpkin cider, pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies, or pumpkin flavored muffins and you will be making MEMORIES for your students! {low prep, low stress, educationally worthwhile memories :)} Don't forget to invite your principal to stop by during your celebration!
If you are interested in the pumpkin personality traits, graphic organizers, and other templates and activities I use for this writing unit, you can find them here in my Tarheelstate Teacher store.
No matter the activity or idea you choose, I do hope you take some time to let your hair down and let loose with your students. I truly believe that while my job is to create passionate readers, competent and joyful math students, and all-around good children in my classroom, a little part of my job is also helping to add memories to their childhood. I hope my students look back fondly on our pumpkin, valentine, and snowman personality units!
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