Students at Our Lady of Malibu School were treated to a science experiment on Halloween when teacher Nadia Despenza created acetylene, a flammable gas, inside a partially carved pumpkin, sending chunks of pumpkin flying to create a smiling jack-o-lantern.
Keeping safety in mind, Renee Lannutti stood by with the fire extinguisher.
Despenza is a graduate of Pepperdine University and has been transforming science education at OLM with hands-on experiments, such as the exploding pumpkin.
Through these experiments, students learn about chemical reactions and how energy can be released from chemicals.