Outdoor Hour Challenge-Spring Maple Tree Bonus Challenge
Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Bonus Challenge-Maple Trees
Inside Preparation Work:
Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 628-634. Pay special attention to the section on page 629 where it talks about how maple trees change in the spring. Also on page 634 there are specific suggestions for spring observations of a maple tree.
Outdoor Hour Time:
We went on a maple tapping tour it was awesome fun and of course I totally forgot the camera. All the kids got to tap a log, watch maple come strait from a maple tree and how it is reduced to make maple syrup. We learned that a grove of maple trees that are being tapped is called a sugar bush. Jo bean asked how it was purified, Moca asked how the water was taken out and Z train asked how many gallons of sap it took to make enough to go on his pancakes. We bought a bottle of syrup and a bag of maple candy. The candy was gone before we got to the main road.
Follow-Up Time:
The next day we had pancakes with real maple syrup. That was the first time I had tasted real syrup, it was delicious.
I would love to tap a maple and see the process of making syrup! What a great experience! This was a great way to complete this challenge.
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