12/01/2025
November was full of cranberries for all ages in Marshall-Putnam! While they aren’t a part of Illinois agriculture, we explored how cranberries differ from our commodities. For example, cranberries are a perennial, and cranberry growers use water in the winter to protect the next year’s buds. There’s also a lot of science inside and outside of these native fruits. All of the classes had the opportunity to taste test cranberry juice and dried cranberries. Some students were extra adventurous and tried fresh cranberries. Some teachers and staff also braved the tart fruit! Funny faces were made by all!
Pre-K made models of cranberries and practiced making the letter “c”. Kindergarten through second graders explored how cranberries float with “float or sink”. Third and fourth graders practiced the cranberry bounce test, which is part of the quality control of cranberry harvest. Fifth and sixth graders completed multiple cranberry experiments and discovered cranberries are acidic. Seventh and eighth graders dove into the world of beverages and tested if they were colored with natural fruit juice or artificial colors based on how they reacted to a special addition.
