From the Patch to the Classroom: J.E.J. Moore Students Explore Learning Through Pumpkins

Fall's seasonal gourd became the center of attention for students at J.E.J. Moore Middle School as pumpkins appeared across several subject areas throughout October, culminating in an exciting rubber band-popping activity just in time for Halloween weekend.

During the final days of October, sixth-graders at Moore Middle School learned about the history of pumpkins and their role in agriculture and trade, while also exploring the origins of the jack-o'-lantern. Alongside the history, Moore students also wrote poetry with pumpkins as the main subject.

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The activities culminated on Halloween morning in the school's bus loop, where dozens of students donned safety goggles and carried clipboards, ready to answer a single question: how many rubber bands does it take to "pop" a pumpkin? 

Breaking into small teams, the groups strategically placed dozens of rubber bands on their pumpkins, keeping an accurate count of each band stretched across the gourds. Throughout the morning activity, the pumpkins popped open one by one under the pressure of the growing ribbon of rubber bands. Some students found that their pumpkins finally yielded to the pressure after only a couple of rubber bands were placed, while others had hundreds of bands wrapped around their pumpkins with almost no budging. 

As each pumpkin eventually broke open, the student scientists continued their work by measuring the gourd's circumference and the thickness of the pumpkin's interior walls. From there, the students used their math skills to graph various data points, including the number of rubber bands used and the time it took for the pumpkin to pop open.

The activity has become a recurring tradition at Moore Middle School, offering an engaging experience that brings together multiple subjects while inspiring thoughtful teamwork and collaboration among students.