Now and Then: A Cranberry History Lesson
What do Native American hand-harvesting, WWII prisoners of war, and crop-dusting airplanes all have in common? They each played a role in the rich and surprising history of Wisconsin’s cranberry industry.
The “Now & Then Cranberry History Lesson” is a hands-on classroom activity designed to spark curiosity, build historical understanding, and celebrate innovation through one of Wisconsin’s most iconic crops. With versions tailored for both upper elementary/middle school and high school learners, this project turns a timeline into a tool for discovery.
For Upper Elementary & Middle School
Objective:
Students will build a poster timeline of cranberry-related historical events using a mix-and-match approach that builds teamwork and chronological thinking.
Instructions:
Divide students into partners or small groups.
Provide each group with the historical events resource, cut into strips and shuffled.
Groups must work together to:
Organize the events in chronological order.
Create a timeline poster featuring the sorted events.
Draw or find pictures to accompany each point on their timeline.
Display finished timelines in the classroom or have students present them, sharing one or two facts they found surprising.
This version of the activity emphasizes sequencing, reading comprehension, and visual creativity.
For Advanced & High School Students
Objective:
Using four provided newspaper articles, students will engage in a deeper analysis of cranberry history, focusing on cause-and-effect, problem-solving, and the evolution of agricultural tools and practices.
Instructions:
Provide students with four historical articles (included in the resource packet).
In groups, students will:
Identify key historical events from the readings.
Construct a detailed poster timeline using those events, adding images and dates.
Brainstorm a list of early challenges faced by cranberry growers (e.g., frost damage, inefficient harvesting, pests, labor shortages).
Describe how later inventions or innovations (like the cranberry rake, crop dusters, or sprinkler systems) helped solve those problems.
Allow internet research to expand their findings.
Groups present their timelines and challenge/solution analysis to the class for discussion.
This activity encourages critical thinking, primary source analysis, and research skills.
Why It Works
This is more than a history lesson—it’s an exploration of how ingenuity, hard work, and science helped shape the agricultural world we know today. Students connect the dots between problem and solution, developing a deeper understanding of both the past and the process of innovation.
Whether you’re teaching 4th graders or high school, this lesson delivers a memorable, standards-aligned experience rooted in local history and hands-on learning.
