Cranberry Christmas Unit Study and Lapbook

Cranberry Christmas is one of my favorite picture books to read aloud during the holidays. If you haven’t read this book yet, you really must! While you can certainly read the book on its own, it’s also a whole lot of fun to complete a lapbook along with the story.

If you’re looking for activities to complement your reading of Cranberry Christmas, you’re in the right place! I’ve created a FREE Cranberry Christmas Unit Study and Lapbook that I hope will spice up your holiday homeschooling.

What is a Unit Study?

If you’re unfamiliar with unit studies, they are a great way to learn. They offer some pizzazz to your normal homeschooling routine as well. Unit studies take a specific book or topic, and really allow you to explore that book or subject in-depth.

A typical unit study covers most of the basic school subjects like science, language arts, art, etc., but each of those subjects is learned through the lens of your unit study topic or book. Unit studies are also a great choice for families because the variety of activities can be adjusted for all ages, allowing all your students to learn together and stay actively engaged.

What’s Covered in the Cranberry Christmas Unit Study

This unit study covers the following subject areas:

Math
Science
Music
Art
Language Arts
Social Studies
History
P.E./Health

There are also additional extracurricular activity suggestions, including:

Field Trip Ideas
Fun With Food

Most of the activities are geared towards elementary-aged students. However, several are appropriate for middle and high school students. If you have preschoolers, let them tag along as they like. The whole unit study is entirely mapped out in this post! However, if you’d like to download it and have access to the 25-page unit study and lapbook PDF, get access by signing up below👇🏻 .

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How to Prepare for this Unit Study

Firstly, print the unit study and lapbook and read through the activities for each subject. Choose one or two from each section to create a well-rounded study. Then, use the weekly planner to plan out your week. Scan the booklist and order any additional books you’d like to accompany the study, if you choose. Gather any needed supplies, like cranberries, art supplies, etc.

Many of the activities will include a link to a video or book you can use to gather information. Please preview any links or videos to determine if they’re appropriate for your family and the ages of your children. If there is no suggested resource, typically a quick search using an online kids encyclopedia or educational YouTube channel will provide the info you need.

Finally, please note that if there is a corresponding lapbook piece for an activity, I’ve noted that as well.

If you’ve not created a lapbook before, please check out my other posts about lapbooks I’ve created to be used along with Five in a Row unit studies:

Unit Study for Cranberry Christmas

CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS OVERVIEW

Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Henry Devlin is a wonderful story about friendship and coming together towards a common goal. Mr. Whiskers discovers that the pond he thinks he owns just might not be his. This is devastating news, as community children skate on his pond every winter. Perhaps the pond is really owned by grumpy Mr. Cyrus Grape?! To boot, Mr. Whisker’s sister Sarah is coming for a visit, with plans for Mr. Whiskers to come live with her in the city. Maggie and Grandmother lend a helping hand to Mr. Whiskers, and in the end, happy endings abound in Cranberryport.

ART ACTIVITIES

Nature Sketching: Have your student try sketching a bowl of cranberries. Older students can try their hand with a How to Draw Cranberries draw along. If you have a holly bush, your student can also try sketching that. (lapbook piece)

Coloring pages: You may want to use these coloring pages for younger students: winter scarf, Christmas trees, holly

Crochet/Knit: Older students can try their hand at making a scarf, or begin learning the basics of knitting or crocheting. A scarf can be a great beginner’s project. Have younger students find things around the house that are knitted (blankets, mittens, sweaters, socks, etc.)

Ornaments: Paint seashells to create Christmas ornaments just like they did in the story. One Little Project has a fun project tutorial.

Drawing/Painting: Create a snowy picture like the ones in the book’s end pages, or on the page where Mr. Whisker’s sister Sarah arrives. You might try the Adorable Close-Up Snowman Painting from Deep Space Sparkle or How to Draw a Winter Village at Art for Kids Hub

MATH ACTIVITIES

Measuring: Using a bag of fresh cranberries, let younger students practice scooping the cranberries with different measuring cups. This is a great time to introduce basic fractions. If you have a kitchen scale, let students weigh the cups and record various weights.

Counting: Using shells from a collection, have your student count the shells. You can also have your student count items in the story. The book has a couple of pages with children ice skating. Have them see how many people they can count on those pages. (lapbook piece)

Grouping: Have the student group seashells in different ways: size, color or shape.

Word Problems: Use the accompanying worksheet to solve these cranberry-related math problems.

Calendar: Using a 12 month calendar, have your student find the month of December. Locate Christmas Eve and Christmas. You might find other holidays your family celebrates throughout the year as well. This could also be a good time to start learning the months of the year if you haven’t already. Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel has some great song-based learning.

MUSIC ACTIVITIES

Listening: Listen to the song Christmas Is Just Around the Corner by Barry Manilow. The song is from the animated TV movie Cranberry Christmas from 2008 which you may be able to find online. You might enjoy watching it after your unit study is complete (accompanied by some cranberry cookies of course!).
For a sillier song, listen to Cranberries Forever by John Riggio. It’s a silly song, but your kids might enjoy the 1950’s style arrangement. Afterwards, if they feel inspired, let them try to create their own song about cranberries!
Singing: Maggie, Mr. Whiskers, Grandmother and Sarah sing carols around the old piano. If your family has some favorite Christmas carols, take time to sing those together. Consider learning an unfamiliar one, which might become your family’s new favorite.

SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITIES

Geography: The story takes place in the tiny village of Cranberryport. The setting is New England. Learn about what states are part of the New England states (MA, NH, VT, ME, CT, RI) and find them on the map. With older students you can discuss why they’re called the New England states. (lapbook piece)

Communities: Because the characters live in Cranberryport, a tiny village by the sea, life might look very different from where you live. Discuss what life by the sea would be like. You can discuss things like fishing, boating, clamming, going to the beach, climbing sand dunes, etc. (lapbook piece)

You can also discuss life in a tiny village versus a big city and compare that with where you live. What’s the same? What’s different?

Things to consider:

hobbies/activities having to do with the sea (clamming, going to the beach, swimming)
the village has one taxicab
the air smells of the sea
the house decor includes things like ships, shells
presents given are related to the sea (shell, seaworn bottle);
expressions people give that are related to the sea “your house looks like a shipwreck”, “suffering codfish”, etc.

Relationships: Mr. Whiskers sister, Sarah, is coming to visit. He decides to give his house a good cleaning so she can see he can take care of himself. He also sets a lovely dining room table with holly, candles, fruit and a tablecloth. Think of the last time you had guests come to stay. How did you prepare for guests? If you haven’t had guests, have your students brainstorm ways they might need to prepare to have guests. (lapbook piece)

Additionally, discuss Maggie, Grandmother and Mr. Whiskers’ friendship, and how Maggie and grandmother pitch in to help their friend prepare for his sister’s arrival. Lending a hand when needed is something friends and neighbors can do for each other.

History: Research traditions associated with Christmas. Some ideas include hanging up stockings, Christmas trees, exchanging gifts. You can also research the origin of the word Christmas.

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Agriculture: Research cranberry farming and harvesting. What environment is needed for cranberries to grow? How are they harvested? Where are cranberries primarily grown? (lapbook piece)

Five senses: Have fun with taste-testing. Compare fresh cranberries with dried. Which does your student like best? You can also try cranberry juice. See if you can find one that is primarily cranberry juice. Does your student like the taste? Have your student note their observations about cranberries using their five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, hear. (lapbook piece)

You can further research the process of drying fruits, and what happens when they’re dried. Get really adventurous and try dehydrating your own!

Animals: Mr. Whiskers likes to go clamming. Investigate clams and how people go clamming. He also has lobster pots behind his couch, much to grandmother’s dismay. Investigate lobsters and how people utilize lobster pots to catch lobsters. If a local grocery has live lobsters, take a quick field trip to view them.

Mixtures: Scientifically speaking, a mixture is a combining of two or more substances where each one maintains their own identity (think trail mix or fruit salad). Have your student create a mixture by making clam chowder. If you make the cranberry relish recipe listed below, that’s also considered a mixture. For older students, discuss mixtures vs. pure compounds and heterogenous vs. homogenous.

Nature Observation: The book opens by describing how things look outdoors with Christmas coming: snow on the bog, the smell of pine in the air, and the pond frozen smooth. How does your yard/community look different during winter than in other seasons? What’s the same? What’s different? If you have a favorite park, you could visit and have your student notice the changes during the winter from other times of the year you visit.

Shells: Read a book about different types of shells. (Try What a Shell Can Tell by Helen Scales). If you have a collection of shells, allow your student to observe and comment about what they notice.

Baking: Have your student make the cranberry bread or cranberry cookies recipes from the books. A good deal of chemistry is happening during baking.

Seasons: Mr. Whiskers likes the way he lives: clamming in the summer in the sand and water, and ice skating in the winter. This could be a good time to explore the four seasons. Have your student list what activities they like to do in each season. Do they share any with Mr. Whiskers?

Plants: Holly leaves are pictured on the front cover of the book. They’re also used as table decor. Have your student learn more about the holly bush. See if they can discover why it’s associated with the holidays.

LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES

Vocabulary: This story has great words to expand your student’s vocabulary. Older students can include them on spelling lists. See the lapbook for vocab activity worksheets. Vocab words: gloom, scoundrel, cottage, brood, cackle, persnickety, jumbled, trill, mysterious, fraud, trespass. (lapbook piece)

Alliteration: Alliteration is the same letter or sound at the beginning of a group of words. In this story, Mr. Whiskers’ “persnickety sister Sarah in the city” plans to come for a visit. Maggie, Grandmother and Mr. Whiskers “bristling with brooms and brushes” head to Mr. Whisker’s home to give it a thorough cleaning. Have your student practice their own alliterations.

Grammar: Similes are comparisons of two things using like or as. In this story, Mr. Whiskers ice skates with the children around him “like a school of fish.” He “glided like a great black-whiskered bird.” Have your student write their own similes. (lapbook piece)

Character Profiles: A character profile is a detailed description of a fictional character. Older students can write a paragraph or two to create character profiles for Maggie, Grandmother, Mr. Whiskers and even Cyrus Grape. Younger students can simply describe each character, using the story for reference. This might be easier if you also read one or two other of the Cranberry series books. (lapbook piece)

P.E./HEALTH ACTIVITIES

Ice-skating: If you have access to ice-skating, this is a fun one to try. If you don’t have anywhere close to try this, you could try roller skating instead.

Ice Hockey: One of the children on the skating pond is holding a hockey stick. Look into this sport. Try it out for yourself, try some street hockey in the driveway, or find a local hockey team of a college or professional team to attend.

Cleaning: You can really work up a sweat when you clean. Besides the physical movement involved in cleaning, discuss with your students the other benefits of keeping a clean, de-cluttered living environment.

FUN WITH FOOD ACTIVITIES

All learning is just a little more fun when there’s food involved. The below list has great suggestions to try new foods, bake, and get a little creative! Many of these activities are great for older students, or can be simplified for younger ones.

Make a fresh cranberry relish
Make Maggie’s Favorite Cranberry Cookies recipe from the book
Make Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread recipe found in Cranberry Thanksgiving
Make clam chowder or simply buy a canned version and sample. Try to find New England Clam Chowder and Manhattan Clam Chowder (one is creamy, the other tomato based). Can you discover why there are two types of clam chowder? Which do your students prefer?
Create a holiday dinner menu.
Create a lovely tablescape (decor + place settings).
Make hot spiced cider, a popular holiday drink

FIELD TRIP IDEAS

Field trips are an excellent way to make connections from what your learning at home with the real world. They’re a great way to make memories your students will remember forever.

Here are some great ideas that work beautifully with this study:

Visit a grocery story that has live lobsters.
Take a virtual tour of cranberry bog
Go ice skating or take a lesson. You could also watch people ice skating.
Go sledding
Visit a shop that has decorated Christmas trees. Pay attention to the types of ornaments. Mr Whisker’s used shells for ornaments. Can you find any shell ornaments? If so, consider buying one to help you remember this story.
Visit your favorite park (suggested in the science section) to observe what changes have occurred during winter compared to other seasons when you’ve visited.

SUGGESTED ACCOMPANYING BOOKS

While you don’t need to read any additional books with this story, supplemental reading is helpful. The below suggested books could be great to read along with your Cranberry Christmas unit study.

Science:

Clams All Year by Maryann Cocca Leffler
What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
What a Shell Can Tell by Helen Scales

Seasons:

Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell

Cranberries:

Time for Cranberries by Lisl H. Detlefsen
Cranberries: Fruit of the Bogs by Diane L. Burns

Related Stories:

Cranberry Thanksgiving and others by Wende and Henry Devlin

Conclusion

Unit studies are a fantastic pathway for learning in your homeschool. With just a little planning and preparation, they provide a great deal of in-depth learning for all your students. Enjoy reading Cranberry Christmas! I hope this Cranberry Christmas Unit Study and Lapbook provides you with memorable holiday homeschooling.