🇺🇸 Culture Share Saturday: Delaware

This week, we’re exploring Delaware, one of the smallest U.S. states—but it has some surprisingly big stories to tell!

🎃Have you ever wondered how far you could launch a pumpkin? In Delaware, people have taken this question very seriously! At the unusual Punkin Chunkin event, participants spend months designing and testing machines that can throw pumpkins through the air.
Fun fact: The longest officially recognized pumpkin throw was 5,545.43 feet (1,690.25 meters)—but this record was set in Utah, not Delaware!

🏢Delaware may be tiny, but many major companies call it home. About two out of every three Fortune 500 companies are registered in Delaware. The Fortune 500 is an annual list published by Fortune magazine that ranks 500 of the largest U.S. companies by annual revenue. Here, “registered” means the company’s legal address is in Delaware.

🍳 What’s Scrapple? In Delaware and nearby Pennsylvania, you may hear the word “scrapple” at breakfast! Scrapple is usually sliced and fried until it’s crispy on the outside and soft inside. Some families enjoy it with eggs, toast, or syrup. Would you try it?

📜 A State With an Important Place in History: Delaware played an important role in early American history. In fact, Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Classroom Activity: “Would You Try It?”

Show students three Delaware topics: Punkin Chunkin, scrapple, and Delaware’s unusual business tradition.

In pairs or small groups, students discuss:
• 🎃 Would you like to watch a pumpkin-throwing competition? Why/why not?
• 🍳 Would you try scrapple? What unusual food would you recommend?
• 🏢 Why might a company choose to register in a small state?
• 🇺🇸 What makes a place interesting or memorable?

Students must use at least three phrases: I think…, In my opinion…, I would/wouldn’t…, I agree/disagree because…