Pumpkins, Plots, and Picture Books!

By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA

This fall, our seventh and eighth grade students embarked on a creative adventure for the Pumpkin Patch project, brainstorming and illustrating original short stories from start to finish. The project emphasized the importance of understanding the elements of a plot diagram—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution—as students carefully crafted stories that were engaging, meaningful, and fun.

Once their stories were complete, the students transformed them into published books to share with others. Each student dressed as one of their story’s characters and decorated a pumpkin to match their tale, bringing an extra layer of creativity and personality to the project.

During the Pumpkin Patch event, the students read their stories aloud to our “Littles”—pre-K and primary students—who were thrilled to take home a copy of the book as a keepsake from a memorable day filled with imagination, laughter, and learning. This experience allowed the older students not only to practice storytelling skills and illustration techniques, but also to see the joy of having a book published and enjoyed by others.

Projects like this remind us that understanding the building blocks of a story and sharing it creatively can turn the writing process into an exciting and tangible experience. From brainstorming ideas to seeing their work come alive for a young audience, students gained a true sense of accomplishment and the magic of storytelling.