#660. Pumpkin Investigations

Science, level: Elementary
Posted Mon Oct 5 17:49:30 PDT 1998 by S.J. ().

Pumpkin Investigations

Listed here are some the investigation or question
that can be used in learning more about pumpkins.

1. There are creases that run side by side(stem to bottom)
on the outside of a pumpkin. Are there more creases on bigger pumkins than on a
smaller one?

2. Is there something on the inside of the pumpkin that lines up with the creases
on the outside?

3. Where on a pumpkin the creases the deepest? The shallowest?

4. Where on a pumkin are the creases the closest together?
The farthest apart?

5. Do pumpkins with more creases have more seeds?

6. Are the creases closer together on bigger pumpkins than
on smaller ones?

7. By looking at a pumpkin can you tell which side was
on the ground?

8. From looking only at the stem, can you determine
which side of the pumpkin was on the ground?

9. Are pumkins mostly full or mostly empty?

10. How is the size of pumpkin related to the amount
of empty space?

11. Are the seeds scattered around inside a pumpkin or
are they arranged in certain groups and patterns?

12. If the seed are in groups and patterns, are the groups and
patterns the same for different pumpkins?

13. If we call the stem end of the pumpkin "up" do the
pointed ends of the seeds point up, down, sideways or in
different directions.

14. What is the relationship beteen pumpkin size and
seed size? Do bigger pumpkins have bigger seeds?

15. Think of a way of finding the number of seeds in a
pumpkin without actually counting each seed.

16. Do bigger pumkins have more seeds than smaller pumpkins?

17. In one pumpkin are the seeds all the same size?
If not, where are the seeds the largest? The smallest?

18. Hit pumpkins of different sizes to see where you get
the lowest and highest sounds.

19. Hit pumpkins of different sizes to wee where you
get the lowest and highest sounds.

20. Do pumpkins float in water? If the do float, consider the
stem end as the top of the pumpkin and determine if
pumpkins float right side up, upside-down, or on their
sides. If they float on their sides, determine where
the ground side floats(up, down, sideways or any direction)

21. If pumpkins do float, determine whether bigger
pumpkins float higher out of the water than smaller
pumpkins.

22. What parts of the pumpkin sink in the water?
Try different parts of the pumpkin shell and different
parts of the seeds.

23. Where are pumpkin shell the thinnest? The thickest?
Be careful to measure shell thickness the same way.

24. Determine if there is a relationship between
shell thickness and pumpkin size.

25. A pumpkin was once the bottom part of a beautiful,
yellow flower. Find the place on the pumpkin where the
blossom part of the flower grew.

26. Try to figure out what the stringy stuff on the
inside of the pumpkin does. Is it attached to the shell?
The seeds?

27. If the stringy stuff is attached to the seeds, is
it attached to the pointed or rounded end of the seed?
Does the string from the seed attach directly to the shell
wall or to something else?