Oregon is the number four producer of cranberries in the country, producing 7% of the United States domestic cranberry supply. In 2019, there were 2,700 acres of cranberries planted, which produced a total of 558,000 barrels of cranberries. The Oregon cranberry industry in 2019 totaled $14,851,000. Cranberries are mostly grown in the coastal counties of Coos, Clatsop and Curry.
Discover the law of buoyancy and its importance in the production of cranberries! Students will explore whether or not a cranberry floats and the phenomena of the buoyancy force.
Activity 1: Float or Sink Experiment
Students will make predictions about whether or not they think a marble and a cranberry will float in a cup of water. Students will fill a cup of water and drop a marble and a cranberry in it. Using the Buoyancy of a Cranberry worksheet students will make observations and write questions they have about what happened to the marble and cranberry when they added it to the cup of water. Students will be introduced to the concept of buoyancy through a short video.
Activity 2 & 3: Why does the marble/cranberry float or sink?
Students will investigate the volume and density of a marble and a cranberry compared to water. Students will work to calculate each object’s volume and density through a step by step process. Then, students will be asked to analyze the numbers and further develop their understanding of buoyancy.
Activity 4: Introduction to Cranberry Production
Students will be invited to watch a video on cranberry production to discover how buoyancy is used in the cranberry industry. After, the class will discuss key concepts from the video with emphasis on the importance of buoyancy.
Activity 5: Enjoy the tasty dried cranberries!
Students will have the opportunity to taste dried cranberries, a delicious and healthy snack!
Curriculum is broken up into small activities that can be done over multiple sittings allowing students to have good breaking spots in between each part.
See this lesson in Modular Delivery through our Google Classroom Example, follow the instructions below.
1. Log in to a google email account, it does not have to be associated with a school.
2. In the menu option, select Classroom.
3. Using the + in the top right hand corner, select join a class.
4. Enter the Class Code: agals5q
5. Select Classwork at the top and you should see the topic “November 2020 – Cranberries”
6. Underneath this section the lessons are broken out into 4 assignments.
Teacher Guide for Modular Delivery
November 2020 – Cranberries Google Drive Folder
Curriculum is combined into one assignment that students will work through independently at their own pace.
Teacher Guide for Independent Study
November 2020 – Cranberries Google Drive Folder
Students complete the whole lesson through 1-hour long lesson in an in-person classroom setting.
The activities below will have the student portions in Spanish but the teacher directions are in English.
Find the lesson in Spanish here.
Virtual versions in Spanish
