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National Agriculture in the Classroom

Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

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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 (11)

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 Scrambled States of America
One day, Kansas wakes up grumpy. The other 49 states are stretching, yawning, and pouring maple syrup onto each other's pancakes, but irritable Kansas announces to his neighbor Nebraska that life is dull and changes must be made. This fun book describes the initial excitement and new arrangements made when the states decide to trade places. Read the book to find out if they ever get back home in the right place.
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.
Tuttle's Red Barn: The Story of America's Oldest Family Farm
In 1632, John Tuttle set sail from England to Dover, New Hampshire. There he set up a farm on seven acres of land. From those humble beginnings the Tuttle family story became America's story. As the Tuttle's passed down the farm, along the way they witnessed the settlement and expansion of New England; they fought in the American Revolution; they helped runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad and sold maple syrup to Abraham Lincoln; they bought the first Model T in Dover; and they transformed the old barn into the thriving country store it is today.
Where Does Food Come From?
This book is all about making food connections. Each spread introduces a different food. The first spread explains that cocoa beans are seeds that grow on cocoa trees, chocolate is produced by grinding and cooking cocoa beans, and hot chocolate is made from chocolate. Children who have never thought about the origins of maple syrup or salt will have their eyes opened in a way that makes them think about how other products come to their lives.
Teacher Reference
Illustrated Accounts of Moments in Agricultural History
Modern Farmer magazine offers a number of illustrated accounts by Lucas Adams that depict interesting and important moments in agricultural history. The Illustrated Account of 'The Great Die-Up' of the 1880s tells the story of the winter of 1886-7, which was so harsh that only about one out of ten cattle survived, and the era of the open range came to an end soon after. Other accounts address topics such as the Pleasant Valley Sheep War, mulberry and silk production in 1830s Connecticut, a maple syrup heist, and dairy farming in the 1940s. These graphic novel style articles are sure to engage students from upper elementary to high school and older.