Students will learn why New Jersey's cranberry industry, a kind of "backwoods agriculture", depends on the Pinelands forests, reservoirs like Chatsworth Lake and Oswego Lake, and the force of gravity.

1. Teacher Demonstration: Put a large, dry sponge in a clear cake pan. Beside it, place a brick in a similar sized cake pan. Next, slowly pour a quart container of water over the sponge. Then, do the same with the brick. Ask students:

Which "held more water", the sponge or the brick? (answer: the sponge)

Why did the sponge hold more water? (answer: the sponge consists of highly porous, absorbent material while the brick, made of tightly packed clay particles, is relatively impermeable.)

If you were asked to describe the leafy floor of a Pinelands forest, would you say it is more like a sponge or a brick? Why? (answer: It is more like a sponge because the sandy, leaf-covered forest floor with its plant and tree roots captures and holds much of the precipitation that falls on it. Precipitation that falls on the brick, like water falling on any paved surf ace or roof top, simply "rolls" away.

If you were a New Jersey cranberry farmer interested in protecting your water supply, why would you want to keep much of your property forested? (answer: The forest floor acts like a sponge because it collects and holds the water needed for the protection, cultivation, and harvesting of the cranberry crop.)

Teacher Demonstration: Place a large metal sieve in a dishpan. (If you have access to a laboratory sink, place the sieve in the sink and a plug in the sink drain.) Invite students to gather around the sink or pan to observe what happens when water is added. Gradually pour water in the pan or sink along side the sieve - don't pour water directly into the sieve. Ask students:

What happens to the sieve as water is added to the pan or sink? (answer: Water enters the sieve through its holes. As the water in the pan or sink rises, so does the water in the sieve.)

Gradually, remove the water from the pan or sink. This can be easily accomplished by periodically removing and replacing the sink plug. If you're using a pan, scoop out water with a container like a quart measuring cup and dump it in a bucket. Ask students to describe what happens to the water in the sieve. (answer: As the water in the pan or sink is removed, the water in the sieve is lowered.)

Explain to students that a sieve is like a natural or man-made reservoir that a cranberry farmer will have near his cranberry bogs. The reservoir is situated in a low lying location where the Cohansey Aquifer is at or near the surface of the earth. The quantity of water in the reservoir is directly related to the amount of water "held" by the surrounding aquifer's sandy soil as well as the amount of precipitation (rain, snow) that has recently fallen. Ask students what will happen to the water level in the reservoir if there is a drought or if the cranberry farmer uses this water for the fall harvest of his crop. (answer: The water level in the reservoir will decline; however, it will be readily restored by precipitation which is the primary source of the Cohansey aquifer's water supply.)

3. Duplicate and distribute copies of "Cranberry Growing - Backwoods Agriculture in New Jersey". This may be used as either an in-class or homework reading assignment. When students have completed the reading, discuss with them the importance of water to New Jersey's cranberry industry.

EVALUATION:

Duplicate and distribute the worksheet, "The Cohansey Aquifer and Cranberries" to each student. Have students work independently or in pairs. Answers may be written on the back of the worksheets or on a separate piece of paper. Collect worksheets and check answers for accuracy based on the answer key.

FOLLOW-UP:

1. Plan a fall class trip to Ocean Spray's cranberry receiving station in Chatsworth, N.J. See how water is used to remove leaves, stems, soil, and rotten berries from recently harvested cranberries. Learn how the cleaned berries are packed and sent to Ocean Spray's processing plant in Bordentown. Discover how waste water is "put back" into the Cohansey Aquifer. For tour arrangements, contact:

Receiving Station Manager
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Main Street Chatsworth, NJ 08019
Phone:(609) 726-1600

2. Chalk Talk: Have groups of students choose one of the following mini-topics and, using demonstrations, maps, worksheet information and "Cranberry Growing--Backwoods Agriculture," develop a two to three minute chalk talk about the topic they select.
A chalk talk is an oral explanation which-uses the chalk board to illustrate or detail what is being said. Following are suggested topics: *Why the quality and quantity of Cohansey Aquifer water is important to the cranberry industry.
*Why the cranberry industry is called "backwoods agriculture."
* Why reservoirs such as Chatsworth Lake and Oswego Lake are important to the cranberry industry.
* Cranberry history in New Jersey and the United States.
* One year in the life of a cranberry bog.
Evaluation: Check chalk talks for accuracy and evidence of understanding.

3. A 25-minute film about cranberry growing and processing may be borrowed from the Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. plant in Bordentown, New Jersey. Also, some free educational in- formation and cranberry recipes are available. Just write or call:
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
104 East Park Street Bordentown, NJ 08505
Phone: (609) 298-0905

4. Pinelands Speakers organization Directory - Copies of this free directory that contains the names, addresses, and phone numbers of speakers who are knowledgeable about this region may be obtained by writing to: Pinelands Commission, P.O. Box 7, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, Attn: Public Programs.

5. Cranberry-related educational information may be obtained by writing or calling the national Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. headquarters: Communications Department
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
1 Ocean Spray Drive
Lakeville-Middleboro, Massachusetts 02349
Phone: 508/ 946-1000

This lesson will introduce the students to the following vocabulary words:(click on the word to see its definition-use your browser's back button to return to this page)

absorb, gravity, headland, hydrologic cycle, impermeable, percolate, recharge, reservoir

Science standards:

5.1-All students will learn to identify systems of interacting components and understand how their interactions combine to produce the overall behavior of the system.

5.2-All students will develop problem solving, decision making, and inquiry skills, reflected by formulating useable questions and hypotheses, planning experiments, conducting systematic observations, interpreting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results.

5.10-All students will gain an understanding of the structure, dynamics, and geophysical systems of the earth.

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