Oley Valley students estimate pumpkin weight for the fair

Students in the third through sixth grade gifted classes learned and researched about giant pumpkins. They learned steps taken to grow the big ones and formulated questions to ask the experts.

Using a practice pumpkin in class (weighing only 47 pounds), they were real mathematicians in determining the “OTT” (over the top) measurements of the pumpkin. The students had to work together to find the side to side inches, end to end inches, and the circumference of the pumpkin. They used these values and the GPC OTT Chart for Atlantic Giant Pumpkins (inches to pounds) to estimate the pumpkin’s weight. Students then put the pumpkin on a scale to find the actual weight of the pumpkin.

Finally, using what they learned in class, students had a chance to estimate the weight of “Emily,” one of the pumpkins entered in the Oley Fair. “Emily” actually weighed 1,234 pounds, and a fifth grader, Natalie, had the closest estimate with 1,300 pounds.