8 Engaging Fall Agriculture Activities for Middle and High School Students

Written By Jess C

Fall is hands-down my favorite season to teach agriculture. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and let’s be honest — pumpkins and turkeys make agriculture feel instantly relevant to students. When I taught ag, I loved nothing more than taking my students to the pumpkin patch at the teaching farm. Watching them pick pumpkins and then connect what they saw back to class content? That’s when agriculture comes alive.

But here’s the reality: fall can be a whirlwind for ag teachers. Between events, harvest, and football season, who has time to reinvent lesson plans? That’s why I’ve pulled together this list of 8 engaging fall agriculture activities for middle school and high school students. They’re fun, low-prep, and guaranteed to bring the season into your classroom.

If you’re looking for a grab-and-go option, check out my Pumpkin Production Webquest for High School and Middle School and Turkey Production Webquest — seasonal favorites that make planning a breeze.

1. Harvest Scavenger Hunt

Nothing gets students moving and thinking like a scavenger hunt. Challenge your class to look for signs of fall harvest — corn stalks, hay bales, combines in action, even pumpkin displays at the grocery store. This works on school grounds, in town, or during a field trip.

Why it works: Students sharpen observation skills and start connecting agriculture to their daily environment.
Pro tip: Offer bonus points for the most creative finds — yes, a scarecrow counts.

2. Pumpkin Dissection Lab

Take pumpkin season up a notch with a hands-on dissection. Have students weigh, measure, and then dig into their pumpkins (gloves optional, enthusiasm mandatory). Count seeds, calculate averages, and connect the activity to plant science and production practices.

This is where my students lit up every year. Pumpkins aren’t just for carving — they’re a gateway to talking about plant breeding, soil health, and even agribusiness.

👉 Want to dive deeper? My Pumpkin Production Webquest for High School and Middle School is a ready-to-use fall ag lesson plan that walks students through the entire pumpkin production process, from seed to jack-o’-lantern.

3. Apple Taste Test

Move over pumpkin spice — apples deserve their moment, too. Grab a few varieties (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji) and let students do a blind taste test. Have them score each apple for sweetness, tartness, and crunch factor.

Discussion points: Why do consumers prefer certain varieties? How does plant breeding influence the apples we see in stores? And which apple really makes the best pie?

4. Harvest Photo Contest

Celebrate fall with a little creativity! Host a Harvest Photo or Art Contest where students capture or draw/paint their version of harvest season. Categories could include “Best Harvest Scene,” “Cutest Farm Animal,” or “Fall in Our Community.”

Display the photos on a classroom bulletin board or post them in a private online gallery. Students love seeing their work highlighted — and you might be surprised at the creativity.

5. Corn Maze STEM Challenge

Not every class can trek out to a corn maze, but every class can build one. Hand out graph paper and challenge students to design their own corn maze. Bonus points if they can actually guide a classmate through the maze using only written instructions.

Tie-in: This activity blends agriculture with geometry, engineering, and problem-solving — plus it’s a fun conversation starter about agritourism and how farms diversify their income in the fall.

6. Thanksgiving Food Origins Project

What’s Thanksgiving without food? Challenge students to trace the agricultural origins of a classic Thanksgiving dish. Where do potatoes grow? How are cranberries harvested? And what about the centerpiece — the turkey?

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving agriculture classroom activities because it helps students connect history, culture, and food systems.

👉 If you’d like a no-prep way to cover turkeys, my Turkey Production Webquest takes students behind the scenes of modern turkey farming. It’s a print-and-go option that’s perfect for those crazy weeks leading up to the holiday.

7. Halloween Agriculture Mythbusters

Halloween brings out some spooky stories — but agriculture has the facts. Turn your students into mythbusters:

  • Bats: creepy or crop-protecting superheroes?

  • Owls: bad omens or rodent managers?

  • Black cats: unlucky or just excellent mousers?

This is one of the most fun Halloween agriculture classroom activities because it blends science literacy with seasonal fun. Students walk away realizing that many of these “spooky” animals are essential for biodiversity and agriculture.

8. Reflection Journals

Wrap up your fall unit with a simple but powerful activity: journaling. Prompt students with questions like:

  • Which fall agriculture activity surprised you the most?

  • What did you learn about food or farming that you didn’t know before?

  • If you could design your own fall ag activity, what would it be?

Journaling helps students solidify their learning and gives you valuable feedback on what resonated.

Wrapping It Up

Fall is a golden opportunity to bring agriculture to life in your classroom. From pumpkins to turkeys, corn mazes to bats, these fall agriculture activities make learning hands-on and memorable.

And if you’re ready for something quick, easy, and teacher-approved, don’t forget:

Because let’s be real: between grading, events, and Friday night football, sometimes the best lesson plan is the one that’s already done for you.

Jess C