Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix
Lesson Plans (3)
From Sap to Syrup
Students recognize how geography and climate allow for the growth of maple trees and the process of making syrup, identify the characteristics of maple trees that produce the best sap for making maple syrup, and name the steps in the process of creating syrup from sap. Grades K-2
Pancakes! (Grades 3-5)
Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they examine the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees. Grades 3-5
Pancakes! (Grades K-2)
Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they explore the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees. Grades K-2
Companion Resources (7)
Book
At Grandpa's Sugar Bush
Alongside his grandpa, a young boy shares the tasks involved in making maple syrup the old-fashioned way. From tapping the trees to boiling the sap, the two spend many hours working side by side in the woods. Their reward is a delicious breakfast of pancakes and the best syrup in the whole world.
Maple Syrup from the Sugarhouse
Maple syrup season is here! Read the story of Kelsey and her father as they begin harvesting sap from sugar maple trees. Join her family and friends to learn the process of turning sap into maple syrup.
Sugar Snow
Laura is delighted when a soft, thick snow falls in late spring in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. A late snow helps the trees make more sap for maple syrup, and maple syrup means sweet sugar cakes and sticky fingers for Laura!
Sugarbush Spring
Read the fictional story of a girl and her grandfather who tap sugar maple trees and tell the story of making maple syrup.
Sugaring
Nora and Gramp are collecting sap from maple trees to make maple syrup. The horses, Bonnie and Stella, are working hard, too, pulling the heavy sap tank through the snow from tree to tree. This third story about Nora and her grandparents brings the beauty of a Vermont farm in early spring vividly to life.
The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen
When Patrick wakes up for breakfast, he finds an adventure in his kitchen. As his dad cooks him breakfast, he learns where each breakfast food item is produced. The chicken lays the eggs, the cow produces the milk and the maple tree makes the syrup. This book is a great resource for teaching elementary students where their food comes from.
The Sweetest Season
It's early springtime in the forest. The snow is melting, and the sweet maple trees are budding. That can only mean one thing; it's time to collect the sap and make some delicious maple syrup.