HallowGREEN Pumpkin Project

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The HallowGREEN Pumpkin project is a modified version of the "Demise of the Halloween Pumpkin".  Students watch their carved pumpkins decompose for 30 days and take field notes of the measurements of the pumpkin and the organisms within and around the pumpkin.

On the first day, the students mass and measure their uncarved pumpkin.  All pumpkins are to be the size of a basketball and students were encouraged to buy from a local store to limit outside variables.  Students carved two triangle eyes, one triangle nose and a mouth with a few teeth.  Students took mass and measurements after carving and compared notes.

Students placed their carved pumpkins on foiled cardboard mats in the "wildscape" of St. John's.  Students went to the wildscape twice a week to observe their pumpkins and record data in field notebooks. Students were encouraged to bring cameras to record information the decompositon of the pumpkins. 

At the end of the 30 days, the students take information from the field notebook and photos to create a typed  final presentation binder with graphs, drawings and class handouts.

  Student's inquire about the identifcation of the organisms and discussions of invertebrates and fungi  follow.   Students may take their specimens back to lab for identifcation.  The HalloGREEN Pumpkin Project follows STEM guidelines and allows the students to make inquiries and learn through a hands on experience.