How Pumpkins Change and Grow
Pumpkins start as small green fruits on a vine. They need sunshine and water to grow big.
Inside the green pumpkin is a green helper. This helper makes the pumpkin look green. It uses sunlight to make food for the plant.
As fall comes, the days get cold. The green helper slowly goes away.
Now, bright orange colors start to show. The orange color was hiding inside all summer! Soon, the pumpkin is bright orange.
After fall is over, the old pumpkin sits in the dirt. Tiny bugs and worms come to visit. Teeny tiny living things break the pumpkin down.
The pumpkin gets soft and turns into dark soil. This soft soil helps new plants grow next year!
- vine:
- A long stem on a plant that grows along the ground.
- sunlight:
- Light that comes from the sun.
- summer:
- The warmest season of the year.
- bugs:
- Small insects or crawling creatures.
- soil:
- The top layer of earth where plants grow.
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Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
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Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How do pumpkins start out on a vine?
- 2What two things do pumpkins need to grow big?
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About this informational passage for Lower Elementary
“How Pumpkins Change and Grow” is a informational reading passage about Pumpkin Life Cycle and Decomposition, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (119 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.