Lesson: Pumpkin Smash!

Discuss fall traditions.

• Ask students to share foods and traditions they associate with fall, like carving pumpkins. Ask: Do you notice changes in the pumpkins when they sit outside for days? What do you think usually happens to pumpkins after Halloween? Discuss students’ ideas in class or on your virtual platform. Explain that they will be reading about how a group handles used-up pumpkins.

Watch a video about food waste.

• Ask students to share examples of plant waste, like pumpkins, going into the trash. (Food may spoil and be thrown away for safety. Leftovers at a restaurant may be tossed in the garbage.) Do they think that something else can be done with the food scraps or plant-based waste?

• Share the video “Going to Waste.” Ask: What facts or footage did you find to be the most interesting? Why?

Read an article about a pumpkin composting effort.

• If students compost at home, or know of organizations that compost, invite them to share their experiences. Ask: What kinds of foods can go into the compost? (fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, etc.—usually not meat)

• Discuss the composting process shown in the sidebar “Gourd to Ground” (page 15). Then read the article aloud.

• Have students complete the “Quick Quiz” to check for understanding.

Interpret a graph about the kinds of waste that go into landfills.

• Ask: Do you think food waste is a large source of garbage in the U.S.? Encourage students to explain their thinking.

• Share the skills sheet “Loaded Landfills.” Preview the graph and identify some items that fall into each category. Ask: Which category would contain pumpkins? (compostable items) Then have students answer the questions about the graph and discuss their answers as a class.

Write a persuasive essay about composting.

• Ask: What does it mean to be persuasive? (to be convincing) What kinds of information might persuade someone to begin composting? (facts about how much food waste goes into a landfill, how composing benefits the environment, connections to someone’s values, etc.)

• Have students use the skills sheet “Be Persuasive” to make their case for composting. Encourage them to send their essay to someone they would like to persuade to compost.

⇨ Learning Journey: Look outside or take a walk to look for evidence of the season. Record observations that tell you what season it is. What else do you wonder about the season? Share your questions with a friend or family member.