As winter thaws into spring in our region, many Maritimers take part in the time-honoured tradition of maple tree tapping, using the collected sap to create delicious maple syrup.
Recognizing the “teach-and-treat” appeal of this activity, Stanley Consolidated School teacher Carl Speed recently used this activity as a teaching tool for his Grade 12 Leadership class.
Giving Back
On Wednesday, March 27, Speed’s Leadership students held a special event to teach the school’s K-11 students what they learned about collecting and producing maple syrup. The K-11 students trooped through the snow to nearby trees where they learned the process of maple syrup production, from tree biology, to sap extraction, and syrup production. And they got to taste the results of their labour!
“I have been making syrup for a few years now and the way it links to so many curriculum outcomes is what makes it a worthwhile activity,” said Speed. “Buy-in from the students and staff who run the production and take part in the day is amazing.”
The buy-in Speed mentions was essential, as the Leadership students’ genuine enthusiasm for the activity allowed them to pass their knowledge onto younger students.
“I remember the Grade 12 students doing this with us when I was in Grade 6,” said Grace Flynn, a Grade 12 Leadership student. “I never forgot it and I’ve been interested in trees and the process ever since.”
Grace and her Grade 12 peers exemplified confidence, mentorship, and collaboration as they guided younger students through the step-by-step processes involved in making this tasty treat.
“My favourite part was them showing us how to get the syrup out [of the tree] and then boiling it,” said Grade 4 student Parker Munn.
Students also learned how to identify trees and operate extraction tools like taps and a fractometer, a device that measures the pliability of tree core samples. “They really got a good idea of the whole process,” said Grade 12 Leadership student Darien Wilson.
“The trees on the side hill by the school ran much better than expected with a higher sugar content, so we ended up making about six litres of syrup,” said Speed. “Once we realized how much we were going to make we decided each student from the Grade 12 Leadership class would get their own 250ml bottle to take home.”
The Leadership class—Course #120—runs most years at Stanley Consolidated and has been in existence since 1979.
“It was the first of its kind at that time,” said Principal Katherine Loughrey. “Now Leadership 120 is a course available to all high schools.”
The Leadership students will be honoured on Tuesday with a breakfast featuring pancakes and, as you’d expect, the syrup of their own tree-tapping labour.