Maple syrup is usually made from the sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped by boring holes into their trunks and collecting the exuded sap. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. Maple syrup was first collected and used by the indigenous peoples of North America. The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually refined production methods. Technological improvements have further refined syrup processing since then. (CONTENT)
Having already discussed jobs of people from our community, we will discuss the task of tapping trees, collecting the sap and making maple syrup and other products from it. We will watch a short video on You Tube called “How to Make Maple Syrup” by Ethan and Justin Spencer. I will then ask them to recall the steps. (DOK 1) We will then discuss that the process is still the same as it was long ago but point out that some of the tools have changed. We will then distinguish between those changes. (DOK 3) Next we will discuss the different ways we can use the product and learn the steps to make maple sugar as we did at Somerset Historical Society. I did find that some people recommend using a Kitchen Aid Mixer to do this but I feel the students would enjoy doing it the “old fashioned” way. In conclusion I would have students create a series of pictures showing the steps to making sugar and then write simple sentences to explain. (DOK 4) (Standards 1.4.1.B, 1.5.1.C, & 1.9.1.A)
Domains: 1a, 1b, 1c,
1d, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou could work in some geography but looking at where maple trees grow and therefore maple sugar is produced.
Also, why would people make maple syrup or maple sugar? Where did sugar come from? Was it expensive? Could you trade for it or did you need cash to purchase it?
Rhonda
more on Maple Syrup....
ReplyDeleteI will Provide small samples of honey, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, white sugar and other maple products for children to taste. Taste and compare the different flavors and textures.
Explain: When the pioneers were settling the American frontier, they could not go to the grocery store every day. Most of their supplies had to be made, harvested from the land, or purchased during very rare trips to a town to purchase supplies. As you have observed from our taste testing, there are many different types of sugars. Molasses, brown sugar and white sugar were available to early Americans but they had to be purchased and were quite often very expensive. White sugar was the most expensive and was reserved for only very special occasions or guests. Since it was often a year or more between trips to a town, they needed to make their own sugar. Honey was collected whenever someone discovered a beehive but honey was difficult to store and transport. The settlers learned from the Indians how to tap the maple trees to make maple sugar. The sap of the maple tree is high in sugar content. Making sugar requires evaporating out the water and leaving the sugar behind. The Indians collected maple sap by slashing the tree bark with a hatchet and allowing the sap to flow down into a hollowed out log. Then they would boil off the water by adding hot rocks to the log container. (Content)
Activity
Use the "From the Woods: Maple Syrup, a Taste of Nature" publication for this section of the lesson (it will be pulled up on the smartboard). This publication will lay a good foundation for the remaining activities in the lesson. Read and discuss the sections "Maple Sugaring Basics," "The Magic Tree," and "Making the Syrup."Students should understand that sap is only 1/50 sugar and the rest is water.
No Trees? Use the tree identification pictures in the publication to observe what the tree would look like. Students will identify that the tree in the picture is a MAPLE tree and show understanding the importance of the type of tree to get the sap. (DOK 1) Discuss the pictures of the tapping and gathering process. Pictures of the tapping process/steps will be on the board and the students will organize the pictures into the correct order showing understanding. (DOK 2) You can make your own "sap" to be used for the rest of the lesson. Start with the amount of real syrup you want to make and then add water to it. You will need to create a ratio of 40 parts water to 1 part syrup. This will look and taste just like real sap.
Making Syrup and Sugar
Boil the sap until most of the water is evaporated and the sap starts turning a light amber color. As the sugar content gets higher, the sap will bubble and foam. Keep stirring. Cook the syrup until it will coat the spoon and that should be close enough. Cool some of the syrup and the students can sample and enjoy it.Continue boiling until the syrup turns to small grains in the bottom of the pot. This is maple sugar.
While the students are enjoying their maple treats, ask them to describe the steps that went into making the syrup. If taught later in the year, students can create a journal entry of the journey of a bucket of sap from tree to table. (DOK 4)
(Standards 1.4.1.B, 1.5.1.C, & 1.9.1.A)
Domains: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c