This article describes a pumpkin activity that allows teachers to evaluate their students' understanding of standards-based science skills. This activity is a valuable tool for the teacher to assess all the concepts introduced in the beginning of the life science. It assesses the lab skills that have been taught in the first quarter: observation, equipment use, and metric measurement. It exposes students to a practical test of making a slide and finding cells using a microscope, which is a key component to higher-level science classes. It asks students to recall their foundational cell knowledge and apply it to a real lab experience. The lab forces students to assess the resources available and work on what they could at that time, and it also forces students to work together in their group. Lastly, it shows the teacher which concepts need to be reviewed while working on other units as the year progresses. (Contains 3 figures.)