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Watermelon Facts & Worksheets

A watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable. A watermelon is named as such because it is composed of 92% water.

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A watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable. A watermelon is named as such because it is composed of 92% water. Watermelons originated in West Africa. It is sweet-tasting and can be eaten entirely.

See the fact file below for more information on the watermelon or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Watermelon worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

SWEET FRUIT

  • A watermelon is a tropical fruit that is sweet-tasting.
  • Watermelon is often served as a refreshing dessert but it is also often made into juice or a smoothie.
  • Because of how refreshing it is, it is a popular treat during summer.
  • Like other fruits, watermelons contain seeds and originate from flowers that have been pollinated by bees.
  • The red flesh of the watermelon is the most popular part of the watermelon to eat, but the whole fruit is edible!

EDIBLE RIND

  • The melon rind is also edible, like that of cucumber.
  • Cucumber is actually a cousin of the watermelon!
  • Examples of how the rind is prepared is by stir frying, pickling, or stewing it, like how they do in China.
  • Dried or roasted watermelon seeds are also sold in China and the Middle East. They make for a good light snack!

TAXONOMY

  • Carl Peter Thunberg first gave the watermelon the name Momordica lanata in 1794.
  • Carl Linnaeus described the watermelon in 1753 and gave it the name Cucurbita citrullus.
  • In 1836, Heinrich Adolf Schrader reassigned the watermelon to the genus Citrullus.
  • The sweet watermelon is close to the watermelon native to West Africa called Citrullus mucosospermus.

VARIETIES

  • There are over 1,200 varieties of watermelons grown in 96 countries.
  • The four main categories of watermelon are seeded, seedless, icebox, and yellow or orange watermelons.
  • Seeded watermelons are also called picnic watermelons.
  • Icebox watermelons are mini watermelons.
  • Seedless watermelons are not hybrid watermelons – they are 100% organic!
  • Around 85% of watermelons sold in the United States are seedless watermelons.
  • The seeded Crimson Sweet watermelons with the red flesh are the most popular.
  • The rinds of Golden Midget watermelons turn yellow when they become ripe.
  • The Cream of Saskatchewan gets its name from its sweet flesh being cream-colored.
  • The world record for heaviest watermelon is held by the red-fleshed, green-skinned Carolina Cross watermelon.
  • A watermelon called “Moon and Stars” with purple or black rind and has yellow circles created in 1926.
  • The Orangeglo watermelon is an oblong watermelon with a light green skin and orange flesh.

HISTORY

  • The watermelon originated in West Africa and is found in the wild.
  • Cultivation of wild watermelons found in the Nile Valley go way back to 2,000 BC.
  • By the Dead Sea, watermelon seeds were found at the settlements of Bab edh-Dhra and Tel Arad.
  • Watermelons began to be cultivated in India in the 7th century.
  • China caught up with watermelon cultivation by the 10th century.
  • Watermelon was introduced in Spain by the Moors also around the 10th century.
  • African slaves and European colonists introduced the watermelon to the New World.
  • The fruit began to be planted across Europe in the 17th century.
  • In the United States, watermelons began to be cultivated by Spanish settlers and Native Americans in Florida in the 16th and 17th centuries.
  • By 1650, watermelons were being grown in Brazil, Peru, and British and Dutch colonies.
  • Captain James Cook is one of the explorers to have introduced watermelons in the Pacific Islands.
  • During the Civil War, the watermelon became a stereotype for black people because they supposedly liked eating them.
  • The watermelon also became a symbol of freedom for black people because it was one of the first things they grew.

NUTRIENTS

  • If you want to get your dose of Vitamin C, a watermelon is one of the fruits to eat.
  • Watermelons are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene.
  • Lycopene reduces the risk of stomach, lung, and prostate cancer.

PESTS AND DISEASES

  • Aphids and fruit flies are common pests of watermelons.
  • If it is humid, watermelon crops are prone to develop viruses and mildew.
  • The virus is called “mosaic virus” because it plants circles on the rind of watermelons.
  • There are varieties in Japan that are susceptible to fusarium wilt.
  • To protect watermelons from wilting, they are grafted onto rootstocks that are able to resist plant disease.

FUN FACTS

  • Every year there is “National Watermelon Day” which is on August 3rd.
  • For over 40 years, Japanese farmers have been cultivating watermelons that are cube-shaped by growing them in braces shaped like boxes.
  • Japanese farmers have also been recently growing watermelon in different shapes of braces, like hearts and pyramids.
  • The watermelon became Oklahoma’s state vegetable in 2007.
  • Watermelon is the most consumed type of melon in the United States.
  • The world’s heaviest watermelon was a 350.5 pound Carolina Cross grown in 2013 by Chris Kent from Tennessee.

Watermelon Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the watermelon across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Watermelon worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about a watermelon which is both a fruit and a vegetable. A watermelon is named as such because it is composed of 92% water. Watermelons originated in West Africa. It is sweet-tasting and can be eaten entirely.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Watermelon Facts
  • Wonderful Watermelon
  • Where’s the Watermelon?
  • Name Completion
  • Native To Africa
  • Summertime Treat
  • Fruit Fest
  • Which Variety?
  • Watermelon Crossword
  • Watermelon or Wrong
  • The Watermelon Jingle

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Link will appear as Watermelon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 19, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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