Pumpkin

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pumpkin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the domestication origin?North America, with evidence dating to approximately 7,000 BCE
2. What is the primary pigment?Beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A
3. Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween?Pumpkins are large, soft, and orange, making them easy to carve into lanterns. The tradition mixes old Native American and European stories.
4. How do pumpkins grow?Pumpkin plants have separate male and female flowers on the same vine. Insects bring pollen from the male flower to the female flower to make fruit.

Monoecious: A plant species that bears both male and female reproductive organs on the same individual plant.
Climacteric Ripening: A type of fruit ripening characterized by a surge in respiration and ethylene production after harvest.
Cucurbitaceae: The plant family that includes pumpkins, gourds, melons, and cucumbers, known for their trailing vines and specific fruit structures.