We continued our celebration of seasonal produce this week by learning about winter squash and making a simple soup from four different varieties: Sugar Pie pumpkin, Blue Hubbard, Butternut, and Acorn. Students discussed what differentiates fruits like squash from vegetables and the differences between summer squash like zucchini (ripens in warm weather, soft exterior, should be eaten soon after harvest) and winter squash (ripens in cool weather, hard exterior after curing in the fields, lasts many months after curing). We read a book called Benji and the 24 Pound Banana Squash with Room 207 and a book called From Seed to Pumpkin with Room 209.
The soup was delicious, but the most exciting part is yet to come. Both classes saved the squash seeds and will be curing them in the classroom next week. All students can take some seeds home to plant or start them in the classroom and do a planting activity in the school garden with Ms. Mallory when the weather warms up!
