Practice contractions while you learn about pumpkins.
Directions: On your own document, write the contraction that is formed by combining the two words in parentheses. We’ve done the first one for you.
1. Did you know that a pumpkin is a fruit? It’s (It is) filled with hundreds of seeds.
2. Pumpkins have been grown by Native Americans for thousands of years. Today, ____________ (they are) found in gardens and farms across America. Which state grows the most pumpkins? ____________ (It is) Illinois!
3. Making pumpkin pie is a lot of fun. I bet you ____________ (did not) know this is an old American tradition. ____________ (There is) even a recipe in the first American cookbook.
AN NGUYEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
4. Pumpkins come in different colors. In America, ____________ (you will) find red, white, and even blue pumpkins!
5. Have you heard of Mathias Willemijns? ____________ (He is) famous for growing the world’s largest pumpkin. It weighed more than 2,500 pounds. ____________ (That is) heavier than a cow!
ERIC HERMANN/WEST COAST GIANT PUMPKIN REGATTA
6. Every year, ____________ (there is) a boat race in Tualatin, Oregon. Racers ____________ (do not) use normal boats. Instead, they climb into giant pumpkins and paddle away!
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Your students will love these pumpkin carving designs over at the National Geographic Kids site.
In honor of this spooky time of year, share the play The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from the October/November 2020 issue of Storyworks 3 with your students. In this story, a mysterious figure rides around town. Is that his head? Or just a prankster with a jack-o-lantern?
