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Product Life Cycles

Provided by: World Wide Climate and Justice Education |Published on: January 27, 2026

Lesson Plans

2-12

Synopsis

In this lesson from the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation, two activities guide students in exploring the life cycles of various products and consider how products use resources and affect the environment throughout these life cycles.
The first activity is for students in grades 2–12 and has students studying and discussing the product life cycle of a slice of pumpkin pie. The second activity for grades 6–12 invites students to research the life cycle of a specific product, noting all that happens from creation to disposal.

Subjects: Science, Economics

Authors: Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

This lesson is adaptable to fit a variety of needs, with many adaptations suggested within the resource.
Students will enjoy studying products that are familiar to them and understanding their life cycle.

Prerequisites

Teachers will need to print and cut the pumpkin life cycle cards ahead of time.
Teachers may need to define the terms linear system and growth cycle for students before beginning the first activity.
Students may need background information on a plant’s life cycle, including decomposition.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers can make connections to climate change by discussing things like food waste and its contribution to emissions.
Teachers can use this lesson to build a foundation towards lessons about a circular economy. Teachers of older students can transition into this module after students have a good understanding of product life cycles.
For younger students, teachers can use the pumpkin life cycle cards as a center activity, where students put the cards in order and have the key available to them to self-check.
Students studying the UN Sustainable Development Goals can use this lesson to make connections to SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format