Sap-n-School

     This is my first "sidetrack".  This post is not an amusing story of what children think or say.  Instead this post is about what has been going on in my classroom.  It is the Maple Syrup time of year and we did not want to be left out.  There are a number of Sugar Maples on the property, all we needed was knowledge and a bit of moxie. Last year was the first time I attempted to make syrup at all.  There was a big learning curve.  I read books, talk to local sugar houses and read some more. As the nights stayed cold and the days warmed up, it was time for the Lower School to start tapping trees.
    We set out with 15 taps, drill, hammer, milk jugs and a bit of moxie.  Each time we put in a tap the children would line up and let the sap drip right into their mouths.  It was fun for all of us.  In the end we made about 4 or 5 gallons of syrup.  We had an ice cream party, we had a pancake party and we gave almost all of the syrup away.  I gave myself a pat on the back and started thinking about how this could be better.  
     This year we started earlier and put in 25 taps, bought collecting pails with lids and planned better.  Within the first three days I burned through too many propane tanks, too expensive.  I looked online to get ideas and hoped I could find a better way.  I found a photo that someone had taken of their home made evaporator made out of a 55 gallon drum.  I asked around and found a member of the school community that eagerly took on the project.  It took him three days to complete.  We now have an evaporator! Thanks Bryce.        The kids immediately started calling it the giraffe, see the pictures below and you will understand.  I planned better this year.  The children worked on activities that supported tree identification, they learned about the boiling point of water and evaporation.  They learned that it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, they learned about liquid conversions and we read various myths and legends about the first people to tap trees.  The class wrote instruction manuals and illustrated stories.  They learned about fire safety, we carried truck loads of wood and learned how to read a thermometer. They realized that a five gallon bucket full of sap is heavy! We kept graphs in order to keep track of "gallons collected and syrup made."  But most of all they wanted to know, "when are we having our pancake party?"  Who can blame them? We are writing invitations so that others can enjoy our sweet and sticky bounty.   
    When you walk out onto the Lower School playground the sandbox has been transformed.  The "giraffe evaporator" is in the center surrounded by pots, fire proof gloves, an ax, boiling pots of sap and the thermometer.  The children are invited over a few at a time to do various tasks.  Yes, they load the stove, check the temperature and strain the sap.  So far we have made one and a half gallons of syrup.  Along the driveway there are 25 more gallons of sap waiting to be boiled and the collecting buckets were nearly full when I left campus today.  When it is all done I am hoping to write an in-depth article for some publication but for now this is what is happening in my classroom.  

 
 The class made the sandbox too. 3 years ago.

 

 

kids!

 I was helping the kids in the loft as they were putting away the blocks.  We have a loft that is specifically designated "the block room".  There are hundreds of blocks in there.  I will try to dig up a few pictures of some of the spectacular structures that have been built over the years. At the end of each class the children are expected to organize the blocks on the shelves for the next class. Today I spent time up there as they were organizing the shelves.  As this was happening, one of the children looked at me and said "Hey Todd, did you know that if you rub your head on the rug too much you will get rug burn?"  As always, I answered with a question, "Have you tried this or did someone tell you that?"   He did not skip a beat, he continued to put blocks on the shelves and said, "I tried it but it sort of  felt like my head was melting not burning."

Story number two
    "Todd, John has a tic-tac up his nose and he can't get it out!"  I looked up there but couldn't see anything but he said that it felt like it was up there.  His mom took him to the hospital to let the doctor look up his nose.  Sure enough there was a tic-tac up there.  The doctor easily removed the stuck candy from the boys nose.  John, looked at the tic-tac and said, "well the orange never got stuck up there before."

quick note....
     I talked to the children about saying curse words. Over the years I have encouraged them to use new words instead of  crap, hell, suck and others.  Today I watched a boy that was clearly frustrated and out of his mouth flew "ah fudge nuggets".

they know where babies come from, sort of.

Here is a discussion between a five year old and eight year old.

8- She was talking about babies and mama's and all of that jazz.  Finally she said "I know where I come from.  I came from my mommies stomach."

5-"Ummm, no you did not come from your mom's stomach.  You came from her uterus."

They argued back and forth.  It was like watching a live Abbott and Costello routine.  NO YOU DIDN'T, YES I DID!

8- emphatically stated-"YES I DID.  I came from my moms stomach.  I know it, she told me."

5-even more emphatically- "NO YOU DID NOT.  Babies do not come from stomachs.  Babies come from the uterus."

After a very repetitive debate, the younger child threw in the towel. "FINE! You came from your mom's stomach uterus."

8- "Okay. Yeah, I came from my moms stomach uterus."