Maple Sugaring

We enjoyed a warm and breezy morning at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary on Thursday.
The children were so excited to be there and we so engaged in learning about the maple sugaring process. We used our five senses to explore the outdoors. What did we see, smell, taste, hear, and smell? See if your child can answer and share as you enjoy these photos together.

Our guide showed us the giant chocolate brown bud

Helen is looking at a bud up close

The sap was flowing nicely today

We got to taste some sap, it tastes like water

Seth is excited because he can see the sap coming right out of the tree!

We learned about how the Native Americans discovered they could make maple syrup from sap too

on our way up to the sugaring shack

Can you see the steam coming from the rooftop?

This is the evaporator doing it's job

Tyler is smelling the sweet syrup

Sophie thinks the syrup is a pretty color

Saying thank you to the maple trees!

We learned how to open up our cups to get out every last drop of syrup!

Seth wrote about this part in his journal and made a fantastic drawing
of the inside of his syrup cup!

What have we been up to?

I cannot believe how quickly the month of February has gone by! We have been very busy launching new aspects of our bookmaking work as part of our Writer's Workshop writing model. The children are off to a great start with writing personal narrative stories about themselves in book format. We've also begun using our new art easel and art materials and the children have really enjoyed this part of their day. We are working on learning specific strategies for addition and subtraction and seeing the relationship between the two. Cuisenaire rods have again been very helpful as we learn all the facts that make a specific sum. This week we also found signs of spring in our planter boxes! Mrs. Greene has packed away all our winter themed picture books as we hope that spring is on its way.

Making ten with lady bugs game!

Ania just getting started at the salt tray

Ania's finished creation

Using Cuisenaire rods to practice fact families and turn around facts

Even Sophie's dog got in on the fun!

I love what the girls created here! Such great use of our variety of wooden blocks.

two cuties!

Sam is working on a set of Star Wars character mini books....

Is spring on the way??

Everyday the girls check the status of the planter boxes to see what is sprouting up

Sophie made a pinch pot out of clay during choice time

Billy used chalk and pastel at the easel

Paperwhite Progress

The children were very excited to sprout and grow their own paperwhite bulbs.  We have had bulbs in various stages of growth for all of February. A few bulbs are still waiting to wake up but we haven't lost hope. The photos below show the stages we have observed, sketched, painted and written about.

This shows the stages of growth we have observed

The white flowers have shimmering petals

This close up shows how the roots grow down to anchor the plant

Our science table in our art studio is ready and waiting for this week's visitors

Addie is proud of her finished painting

busy painting in the background

Artist at work!

A close up of Alex's easel painting of a growing paperwhite