No Ghosts In Our Classroom {The Pumpkin Patch Parable}

Where I teach, we don't do a unit on the Halloween theme.

Instead, at this time of year I do a book study with companion activities, pocket chart activity, and Play-Doh mat based on Liz Curtis Higgs' book The Pumpkin Patch Parable. 

Before reading, as a class we reflect on prior learning about pumpkins based on earlier lessons. 

{My pumpkin activities post can be found here} 

Then we review how a pumpkin grows, using pictures to sequence the stages of change.

I ask my students how they are like pumpkins, via our "Chit Chat" chart.

Needless to say, I get a lot of puzzled looks.

Are we orange? Are we round? Do we grow on a vine?

After reading the story, they learn that like pumpkins, we are all unique. Jesus made us all different, but He loves us the same. The pumpkins are full of yucky pulp that the farmer cleans out, much like we are filled with sin that Jesus washes away when He forgives us. The farmer puts a light in the pumpkin to make it shine brightly. Jesus replaces our sin with His light so that we may shine for Him. 

  

Our "Chit Chat" chart gets filled in with their responses:

Here are some more activities we do with the book:

I found a great booklet to go along with this lesson at Danielle's Place.

This page is to be printed out on legal-sized paper.

{I cut out the pumpkin faces ahead of time because it is too difficult for my students}

On the first page, students glue "yucky pulp"--gold colored yarn & tan paper cut into oval shapes.

The center page is colored yellow, so that when the book is closed the pumpkin is glowing.

 Students can fold the booklet in the reverse direction so that the pulp is gone, and the pumpkin is glowing: