"The Demise of the Halloween Pumpkins"

"The Demise of the Halloween Pumpkins"

Students are observing the changes that happen to two pumpkins over a period of time.  One is carved and one is intact.  We made predictions on Day 1, October 1, 2013:  What changes will happen to these pumpkins over time?  How long will it take for each pumpkin to decompose?  Students will keep track of these changes by observing and evaluating each day the changes they see and recording their findings in Evernote or Notabilty.  They will also use their iPads to photograph evidence of change.  This activity shows the concept of decomposition really well, but the reason why I do this activity is to allow students to make connections about the origins of life, life processes, and energy transfer.  So much learning takes place with these two pumpkins in our classroom all year long.