Sugaring off Season

Proulx Maple Farm

Full Day Kindergarten has been full of new beginnings for the little ones, and for educators. We planned our first field trip this spring, and braved the prospect of ushering 4 year olds into "porta-potties". Never, in a million years, could I imagine embarking on this journey without the help from volunteers. I am truly grateful! Thank you!

Around the time we first started planning the trip, I was in my local hardware store and spotted the supplies needed to tap your own trees. If we had mature maple trees on our yard, I would have attempted to try our hand at it. Nonetheless, I picked up those supplies and brought them to class to pique their curiosity. Mission accomplished.

Demonstrating how they think the
bucket hangs from the tree

Exploring the spile

We read a few books on the topic of sugaring off, and were surprised to learn that it takes 40 buckets of sap to produce 1 bucket of yummy, golden syrup. 

40!

That's a big number! We took time during Focus Groups to explore that number.

Counting out 4 rows of 10 

Counting to ensure there are really 40

Using tens frames and bottle caps to count to 40.

Using blocks & tens frames to represent 40

Our learning carried over to the water table, where it magically turned 

into an "evaporator".  We wondered if the "evaporator" had the 

capacity to hold 40 buckets worth of sap. 

Estimates were recorded, then we explored!

Literacy & Numeracy at play

That's a lot of "sap"!

How do we get sap flowing through the spile?

Taking a tally during centre time

By the time our field trip rolled around, the children were so excited. Proulx Farm had a lot to offer! A presentation outside identified the way sap has been collected throughout history.

Left (large wooden spile and bucket out of a log)

Right (small wooden spile and bucket out of wood)








Left (metal spile and bucket)

Right (plastic spile and aluminum bucket, OR tubing running from tree to tree)

 A tour inside of the sugar shack demonstrated how the sap is boiled at a high temperature in an evaporator, and syrup is produced. The smell was heavenly! We could smell the wood smoke as we approached, and from within, there was a sweet aroma!

Rustic "Sugar Shack" 

Evaporator at work

Steam rising up, beyond the rafters

A connection was made to the water cycle (evaporation) as we watched the steam rise up and out of the building. 

It was a full day! We enjoyed our pancakes and smothered them in delicious maple syrup - what a treat! Then we took a wagon ride back to the play structures and animal barn. A few of our little friends fell asleep on the bus ride home. What a terrific first field trip, and sugaring off season!

Thank you for visiting our atelier.

Building Bridges

  As the thaw sets in, spirits soar on the school yard. The landscape changes and promises new opportunities for discovery and routines. After several days of slushing about, the small puddles on the yard expanded and engulfed the sand pit. While I usually am one to endorse messy play and exploration, there are some drawbacks, such as not being able to dry off properly at school. Complaints (about getting back into soggy clothing and getting splashed) evolved into class meetings, and new rules of play took shape.

One little friend; in an attempt to provide a solution to the mud puddle dilema, declared, "We need a bridge!"  There was much agreement, and from here, the dayplan was abandoned and we went in an entirely different direction. The inquiry was born.

How can we make a bridge? The children named their choice materials: wood and rope.

We mused outloud, "How about a pallet?" When it was suggested that we could inquire with Mr. Jeff, excitement rose. As luck would have it, Mrs. Jeff had just taken a sturdy one out to the dumpster and he was more than happy to retrieve it for us. Even before we could get our boots on, a pallet was delivered!

In the meantime, we shared the story of "3 Billy Goats Gruff", and our focus group explored bridge building. The children were encouraged to look around the room and devise a plan to create their own structure to bridge their construction paper "mud puddle". The results, we share below. 

Rulers and Kapla blocks

Big blocks

Unifix cubes

Assorted foam and red wooden blocks

The next series of photos were taken in absolute silence, as this child explored simple physics and created a "see-saw", or lever, for a bridge. I love how the pictures capture her learning as she discovers how the load effects the lever. The beam (ruler) pivots when she removes dinosaurs (weight/effort) at the opposite end.

The beam is set, with a dinosaur as the fulcrum.

The dinosaurs are loaded on, one by one.

Dinosaurs keep marching on, trying to cross the puddle.

The load at the other end is gradually removed.

The beam finally pivots and allows the dinosaurs

to pass over the mud puddle.

The children continue to develop and apply their knowledge and understanding of bridges. While travelling by bus on our recent field trip, some children excitedly pointed out an overpass. On a excursion around our yard, we encountered a bridge near a runoff culvert and crossed it. The opportunities to explore bridges has not passed - we continue to build on our knowledge and expand our understanding and appreciation. We are "building" our schema.

Wooden poles used to create a bridge 

over corn field run off in the junior yard.

Thank you for visiting the atelier.