What to cover w/3rd graders

[firetech]

I've been ask to talk about maple syrup production with 500 3rd graders, in a round robin (about 10-15 min per group) agricultural education day at the county fair grounds for the county Farm Burea. I have Michigan Maple fact sheets to put in the teacher packs and another hand out. But what do I show the kids? Do I get some pictures of the evapoterator blown-up so they can see what the unit looks like? Need ideas and help. Thanks

[3rdgen.maple]

Bring some displays. Maybe a chunk of maple screwed to a base and throw a tap in it and a small bucket to show them. We used to give out maple coloring books and a bunch of recipes in a phamplet to take home. Just gotta make it fun somehow.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

That age group likes hands on, physical things. I like the tree trunk-bucket and spout idea. I have a display boare of spouts made over the past 150 years that kids stop and gaze at. Bring up why maple sugar was so important in certain historic time periods, ie. colonial times and or during sugar rationimg in WWII. Can you relate to them the amt of sap to make the syrup...perhaps show them a large container and then the size of a container of syrup it would make. All kinds of directions to go, just keep em hoppin.:)

[White Barn Farm]

I did a church service once and diluted some syrup down to 2% and gave out samples and then passed out samples of the real deal so people could see the difference. I used plastic communion cups. Also had some people stirring cream while the service went on. It was fun and kept people engaged and interested.
Ed

[BarrelBoiler]

i know my guys at that age would have loved to drill holes with a brace and bit

may be some 3% sugar water to taste what sap is like and an explanation of what happen during boiling to get to syrup

ooopppss well maybe not with 500 3rd graders maybe a mad scienctist act with lots of steam:evil:

[maplehound]

There are alot of good ideas here. Just remember this age group is going to be very hands on and visually stimulated. With 500 kids you are limited as to what you can do, but any tasting, even if it is just dipping a plastic spoon into some syrup is great and gets a point accross. You may also bring along a bottle of store bought syrup and explain how little if any real syrup is in it. Just don't get too technical or you will loose them.
Another tasting idea if you have some help!!! would be to have some french toastix heated up and let each one try a half a stick dipped in syrup. I did this at our local school for earth day one year but had the help of my sister in law or it wouldn't have worked. Also small pieces of candy work great if you are able to make it yourself.
Have fun with it.
maplehound

[3rdgen.maple]

Wow i missed that part 500 kids RUN MAN RUN.:lol:

[Russell Lampron]

With 15 minutes you aren't going to have time to talk about too much. A brief explanation of the process and maybe a display of 40 1 gallon milk jugs and 1 1 gallon syrup jug to show them how much sap it takes to make the gallon of syrup. A taste of some sort is always good too.

[brookledge]

Be prepared to answer tons of questions and the same ones over and over again. By the time you get done you will need something cold for yourself.
Good luck
Keith

[220 maple]

Firetech,
Several times I visited the local elementary school and each time I talk to all the 3rd graders. My neighbor is one of the 3rd grade teachers, she told me things that they learn in the 3rd grade and I tried to show them how it applies in the world of Maple Syrup. West Virginia 3rd graders learn about evaporation and the water cycle, I show them a very breif video of my evaporator in full operation, and all the steam that is created. I explain why evaporation matters to me. Find out what they are expected to learn in the 3rd grade and base your info off of that.

Mark 220 Maple

[davey]

send me an e-mail address and I'll try to send you the packet I used with the 3rd graders at my school. It has some pictures, coloring, and a cut out maple helicopter.

[firetech]

Oh crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they just told me there are 800 kids coming but on the up side I need to provide display stuff for 2 more stations and more help will be there.

[maple flats]

For 3 years I have given talks to groups of kids at schools. Mine have been 30 min., in groups of 15-20 kids, with 2 groups of 1-3 graders and 2 groups of 4-6 graders. The talks always proved to really hold the kids attention. I had some of the tools of the trade, pictures and explained the process, basically the same for eack level but used bigger words for the bigger kids. I never had enought time but I managed. One year I took a block of maple, drilled a tap in deep, then drilled a larger hole down from the top to intersect it. I then used an IV type drip bag with water and regulated the flow to change as i explained what happens as the temp rises during the day. It dripped from the tap into my bucket. I had the top of the block and the bag hidden behind a sign I stapled to the block and i could vary the flow with 1 hand. It was kind of neat but in later years I didn't do it because it was more effort than i thought it was worth. Besides, when planning for that first year I thought it would be hard to keep talking for 30 minutes, but it proved the opposite. It was hard to say everythin I wanted in 30 min. You will have a hard time doing it in 15 minutes. I suggest you only cover one or 2 aspects and only be very brief on the rest. The most important thing is to keep it fun and interesting, you will be invited again and can then cover another point or 2.

[Clan Delaney]

Fart jokes. Third graders love fart jokes.

I'd keep anything hands-on to a minimum. With that many kids, you'd never get to give all the kids that want a try the chance. Hmmmm.... examples of all the different things that can be made from maple might be good: syrup, cream, candy, sugar, cotton candy. I always found descriptions of all the hard work that goes in interesting.

[firetech]

Well we skipped the fart jokes and talked about maple and the time was very short with each group. But I just hope that this fall when they see the red,orange, and yellow leaves they remember the maple tree and her spring time gift. Thanks for all the help,it looks like I'll be a regular at this event.

[davey]

good to hear. I run into kids I've spoken to from two years ago and they still remember, I bet some will do the same for you. Nice job!