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Summary and Objective
Students will understand that conditions and techniques must be just right to turn sap into tasty maple syrup. Students will learn the process of maple sugaring and how it has changed over time. Students will understand the value of this local resource and the community members that make this product.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Read the students the story Sugaring by Jesse Haas, or another appealing picture book about maple sugaring. Discuss with the students how the cold nights and warm days create the perfect conditions to get sap flowing from the trees.
Step 2.
Show the students the pictures Sap Gatherers, Sugaring Molds, Sap Bucket, and Maple Syrup Containers from the American Centuries website. Then show the students the short video from Old Sturbridge Village. During this presentation, lead the students in a discussion. Ask them what materials they see being used to make maple sugar and to gather sap. Ask students if they have seen similar materials being used to gather sap in our modern times. Ask them to clarify the steps needed to make maple sugar after watching the video and what they think the molds shown in the American Centuries picture may have been used for.
Step 3.
Discuss the process of sugaring and the steps involved. Compare this process to the process that they saw being used to create maple sugar. Then show the students the two short videos on modern day sugaring. Create a class Venn Diagram to compare and contrast maple sugar making and maple syrup making.
Step 4.
Discuss how the process of maple sugaring has stayed virtually the same and only the look of the equipment has changed. Refer back to the pictures from the American Centuries website and the discussion had in step 2 regarding the materials used in years past for sugaring.
Step 5.
Optional: Teach the children The Maple Syrup Song and have them illustrate the song with pictures of the sugaring process. Song Lyrics: Oh the drip, drip, drip from the bucket, oh the drip,drip,drip from the tree, oh the drip, drip, drip makes me want to take a sip of the old sap bucket on the maple tree.
Step 6.
Finally, have students sample real maple syrup and store bought pancake syrup. Students can create a class graph regarding their syrup preferences. If possible, have students sample maple sugar and compare that taste to the maple syrup.
Step 7.
Post Lesson Activity: Take students on a trip to a local sugarhouse or have a local sugarer in to discuss sugaring with the class.
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