Here’s an outline for a 4-6 minute interactive slide presentation on the life cycle of a pumpkin for 1st grade, based on Florida standards. This presentation will incorporate visuals, questions, and interactive elements to engage students. Title Slide Title: The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Subtitle: First Grade Science Image: A pumpkin patch or pumpkin growing on a vine. Biblical Integration (if desired): “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (Discuss the importance of seasons and how pumpkins grow over time.) Slide 1: Introduction Title: What is a Life Cycle? Text: A life cycle is the stages a living thing goes through from birth to becoming an adult. Interactive: Ask students: “What other life cycles do you know?” (e.g., butterfly, frog) Image: A simple diagram showing a pumpkin seed, sprout, and pumpkin. Slide 2: Stage 1 – Seed Title: It All Begins with a Seed! Text: A pumpkin starts its life as a small seed planted in the soil. Image: Close-up picture of a pumpkin seed. Interactive: Ask: “What do you think a seed needs to grow?” (Possible answers: sunlight, water, soil) Activity: Use physical pumpkin seeds in class and let students touch or pass them around. Slide 3: Stage 2 – Sprout Title: Growing Sprouts Text: After the seed is planted, it begins to sprout and grow into a small plant. Image: A sprout emerging from the soil. Interactive: Ask students: “How long do you think it takes for a sprout to appear?” (Discuss the time it takes.) Slide 4: Stage 3 – Pumpkin Vine Title: Pumpkin Vines Appear Text: The sprout grows long vines that stretch out and produce leaves and flowers. Image: Pumpkin vine with flowers. Interactive: Ask students to raise their hands if they’ve ever seen a vine. (Explain how vines are different from trees and bushes.) Slide 5: Stage 4 – Flowers to Fruit Title: From Flowers to Pumpkins Text: The flowers on the vine eventually turn into small green pumpkins. Image: A small green pumpkin forming on the vine. Interactive: Ask: “Have you ever seen a tiny pumpkin before?” Slide 6: Stage 5 – Full Grown Pumpkin Title: The Pumpkin is Fully Grown! Text: The pumpkin grows bigger, turns orange, and is ready to be picked. Image: Large orange pumpkins in a field. Interactive: Ask: “Who has picked a pumpkin before? Where do you think pumpkins grow best?” Slide 7: Recap of the Life Cycle Title: Let’s Review! Text: The pumpkin life cycle has five stages: Seed, Sprout, Vine, Flower, and Pumpkin. Image: A full life cycle chart. Interactive: Ask the students to point to or name the different stages of the life cycle in order. Slide 8: Activity – Build a Pumpkin Life Cycle Title: Let’s Build a Pumpkin Life Cycle! Text: Now, let’s make our own pumpkin life cycle using cut-out images. Activity: Provide cut-out pieces of the life cycle stages (seed, sprout, vine, flower, pumpkin). Let students glue them in the correct order on a worksheet. Image: An example of the completed activity. Slide 9: Fun Pumpkin Facts! Title: Did You Know? Text: Pumpkins are a type of fruit, and there are over 45 types of pumpkins! Image: A variety of pumpkins (different colors and sizes). Interactive: Ask: “What is your favorite type of pumpkin?” Slide 10: Conclusion Title: What We Learned Text: Today, we learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin, from seed to full-grown pumpkin. Interactive: Review by asking: “Can anyone share one new thing they learned today?” References CASEL (2020). Social-Emotional Learning. Florida Department of Education. (2023). 1st Grade Science Standards: SC.1.L.14.1: Recognize that all plants and animals grow and change. National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). (2021). Pumpkin Plant Growth.