History of the Jack-O-Lantern
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the history of the “Jack-O '-Lanterns.”
Central Idea: Original Jack-O '-Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets.
INTRODUCTION
I. (Attention Getter) Did you know that the original Jack-O '-Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets? It originated in England, Ireland and Scotland when people started making their own spooky lights from various home-grown hard vegetables that were carved out and lit up with coal. II. (Reveal Topic) A pumpkin is not a vegetable; it 's a fruit. A. Pumpkins come from the gourd family and is related to melons, squashes, zucchini and cucumbers. B. A very large number of the pumpkins grown today are for the purposes of carving during Halloween. C. Pumpkins are very difficult to find outside of the fall season. III. (Credibility Statement) Carved Pumpkins or Jack-O '-Lanterns are the most popular of all Halloween emblems. D. Halloween has always been associated with wearing scary costumes and masks, sharing ghost stories, throwing spooky parties, giving people a good fright, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving for as long as it has been around. E. According to History.com, “every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world.” I. These pumpkins are carved with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles and are a sure sign of the Halloween season. F. The practice of decorating Jack-O '-Lanterns and the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack which originated in Ireland, where large turnips, beets, and potatoes served as an early canvas. II. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. G. Halloween is a holiday based on a collection of folk tales and traditions dating back for centuries.
(Preview) Today I would
Central Idea: Original Jack-O '-Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets.
INTRODUCTION
I. (Attention Getter) Did you know that the original Jack-O '-Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets? It originated in England, Ireland and Scotland when people started making their own spooky lights from various home-grown hard vegetables that were carved out and lit up with coal. II. (Reveal Topic) A pumpkin is not a vegetable; it 's a fruit. A. Pumpkins come from the gourd family and is related to melons, squashes, zucchini and cucumbers. B. A very large number of the pumpkins grown today are for the purposes of carving during Halloween. C. Pumpkins are very difficult to find outside of the fall season. III. (Credibility Statement) Carved Pumpkins or Jack-O '-Lanterns are the most popular of all Halloween emblems. D. Halloween has always been associated with wearing scary costumes and masks, sharing ghost stories, throwing spooky parties, giving people a good fright, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving for as long as it has been around. E. According to History.com, “every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world.” I. These pumpkins are carved with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles and are a sure sign of the Halloween season. F. The practice of decorating Jack-O '-Lanterns and the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack which originated in Ireland, where large turnips, beets, and potatoes served as an early canvas. II. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. G. Halloween is a holiday based on a collection of folk tales and traditions dating back for centuries.
(Preview) Today I would
Cited: “Pumpkin Shop Carving Program.” Firebug Media, Inc., Web. 2006. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.canucarve.com/history.php> “Pumpkin Carving History.” I Love Media., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://festivals.iloveindia.com/halloween/jack-o-lanterns/pumpkin-carving-history.html> Merrill, Linda. Halloween Vegetables: Alternative Jack-O-Lanterns That Are Not Pumpkins. Huffington Post, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/halloween-vegetables-2012-jack-o-lanterns_n_1946680.html#slide=1613427> “About Pumpkin Carving.: eHow. Demand Media, Inc., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://www.ehow.com/about_4565920_pumpkin-carving.html>