Article
Marlin Levison/AP Images

The Great Pumpkin Race

Rowers paddle boats carved from giant pumpkins

By Katie Free
From the Special Collections Issue

Learning Objective: Students will use unit form and vertical number lines to round large numbers to any place value.

Lexile: 920L; 560L

Each fall, farmers across the country bring their biggest pumpkins to county fairs. They compete to see who grew the heaviest gourd that year. The pumpkins often weigh more than 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds)!

Giant pumpkins usually don’t have a good flavor, so they aren’t used for food. But at some festivals, growers put plump pumpkins to another use—they turn them into boats! In competitive pumpkin boat races, contestants hollow out their pumpkins, then sit inside and paddle them through the water. 

Each fall, farmers across the country bring their biggest pumpkins to county fairs. They compete to see who grew the heaviest gourd that year. The pumpkins often weigh more than 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds)!

Giant pumpkins usually don't have a good flavor. This means they aren't used for food. But at some festivals, growers put plump pumpkins to another use. They turn them into boats! In competitive pumpkin boat races, contestants hollow out their pumpkins. Then they sit inside. Then they paddle the boats through the water. 

Courtesy Jaja Martin

Jaja Martin prepares her Pokémon pumpkin.

Jaja Martin is an expert pumpkin racer. She won last year's pumpkin regatta in Damariscotta, Maine. There are several pumpkin boat races across North America. This is one of them.

Picking the right pumpkin is important, says Martin. An oval-shaped pumpkin moves through the water better. Smaller pumpkins are faster. This makes them easier to paddle than rounder ones. But if a pumpkin boat is too small, it tips over easily. Martin thinks a good pumpkin boat should weigh about 450 pounds. That’s before it's carved. 

After picking their pumpkins, the rowers carve them into boats. They cut a circle out of one side and scoop out the insides.

If you think a giant pumpkin produces pounds of gooey pumpkin guts, you’d be mistaken, says Martin. The big gourds are actually much less messy than a typical pumpkin.

Jaja Martin is an expert pumpkin racer. She won last year's pumpkin regatta in Damariscotta, Maine. There are several pumpkin boat races across North America. This is one of them.

Picking the right pumpkin is important, says Martin. An oval-shaped pumpkin moves through the water better. Smaller pumpkins are faster. This makes them easier to paddle than rounder ones. But if a pumpkin boat is too small, it tips over easily. Martin thinks a good pumpkin boat should weigh about 450 pounds. That’s before it's carved. 

First the rowers pick out their pumpkins. Then they carve them into boats. They cut a circle out of one side. After, they scoop out the insides.

Giant pumpkins don’t actually have very much goo inside, says Martin. The big gourds are actually much less messy than a typical pumpkin.

Greg Ruffing/Redux

Want to move a 1,190 kg pumpkin? Better get a forklift!

Courtesy Jaja Martin

Some racers decorate their pumpkins with props, paint, or flags. Last year, Martin decorated her pumpkin as Pikachu, the Pokémon character.

Just because a pumpkin floats doesn’t mean it’s easy to paddle, says Martin. “It takes a lot of muscle to get it to go,” she says.

Last year, onlookers cheered in the rain as Martin neared the end of the race. The only contestants left were Martin and her two younger brothers. Everyone else had fallen into the water. Martin crossed the finish line in first place.

“I had so much fun,” says Martin, who plans to race again this year. 

Some racers decorate their pumpkins. They add props, paint, or flags to their boats. Last year, Martin decorated her pumpkin as Pikachu, the Pokémon character.

Just because a pumpkin floats doesn't mean it's easy to paddle, says Martin. "It takes a lot of muscle to get it to go," she says.

Martin remembers last year’s race happily. As she neared the end of the race, onlookers cheered in the rain. The only contestants left were Martin and her two younger brothers. Everyone else had fallen into the water. Martin crossed the finish line. She won first place.

"I had so much fun," says Martin. She plans to race again this year. 

Now You Try It

1. For Damariscotta’s festival, pumpkin boats can weigh no more than 700 pounds. One contestant’s pumpkin weighs 683 pounds.

1. For Damariscotta’s festival, pumpkin boats can weigh no more than 700 pounds. One contestant’s pumpkin weighs 683 pounds.

A. Between which two tens does this number fall on a number line? 

A. Between which two tens does this number fall on a number line? 

B. What is 683 rounded to the nearest ten? 

B. What is 683 rounded to the nearest ten? 

C. Would this contestant’s pumpkin qualify for the boat race? Explain. 

C. Would this contestant’s pumpkin qualify for the boat race? Explain. 

2. For last year’s festival in Damariscotta, Martin’s pumpkin weighed 471 pounds before she carved it into the winning boat. Let’s say Martin wanted to round that number to the nearest ten. She began by plotting the number in unit form on the following number line:

2. For last year’s festival in Damariscotta, Martin’s pumpkin weighed 471 pounds before she carved it into the winning boat. Let’s say Martin wanted to round that number to the nearest ten. She began by plotting the number in unit form on the following number line:

A. What is Martin’s mistake, and how can it be fixed? Explain on a separate sheet of paper.

A. What is Martin’s mistake, and how can it be fixed? Explain on a separate sheet of paper.

B. What is 471 rounded to the nearest ten?

B. What is 471 rounded to the nearest ten?

3. Giant pumpkins take about 130 days to mature. Write the numbers that round to 130 when rounded to the nearest ten. 

3. Giant pumpkins take about 130 days to mature. Write the numbers that round to 130 when rounded to the nearest ten. 

4. The largest pumpkin ever recorded weighed 1,190 kilograms. What is 1,190 rounded to the nearest hundred? On a separate sheet of paper, show your answer in unit form on a number line. 

4. The largest pumpkin ever recorded weighed 1,190 kilograms. What is 1,190 rounded to the nearest hundred? On a separate sheet of paper, show your answer in unit form on a number line. 

5. The town of Keene, New Hampshire, holds the record for the most jack-o’-lanterns on display—30,581 carved, glowing pumpkins! What is that rounded to the nearest thousand? On a separate sheet of paper, show your answer in unit form on a number line. 

5. The town of Keene, New Hampshire, holds the record for the most jack-o’-lanterns on display—30,581 carved, glowing pumpkins! What is that rounded to the nearest thousand? On a separate sheet of paper, show your answer in unit form on a number line. 

video (1)
Activities (2)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (2)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. SPARK ENGAGEMENT.

Read the article. Then start a discussion with the following questions as a whole group, in small groups, or with a partner:

  • How many of you would like to carve a giant pumpkin boat? Describe what you would do. 
  • What are some challenges you think might come up during the race? Explain how you would overcome them.

2. INTRODUCE THE MATH CONCEPT AND VOCABULARY.

Next watch the video lesson “Rounding With Number Lines”. Then engage students in a discussion about how we can use unit form and vertical number lines to round numbers. Try the following questions: 

  • What does it mean when a number is in unit form? Discuss with your partner. (Unit form is a way of writing numbers using numerals and their place value expressed as a unit.) Not all students may have this skill, so you may need to introduce the concept. 
  • How can unit form help you when you are rounding large numbers? (You can see and read a number by its place value.)

3. WORK THROUGH A SAMPLE PROBLEM AS A CLASS.

  • Let’s say you want to round 177 to the nearest ten. What endpoints would you choose to start and end with? Allow students time to share their knowledge. 
  • With your partner, draw a vertical number line. Be sure to label your endpoints and number in unit form. 
  • Allow for students to do a quick walk around the room to see the work of other students. This helps them learn from others.

4. REINFORCE WITH MATH PRACTICE. 

Ask students to finish the problem set. 

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