Students at Carl J. Lamb Elementary School are getting a sweet lesson in science, math, and New England tradition through a school-wide maple sugaring project. The initiative transforms their playground maple trees into educational tools as children collect sap, track data, and ultimately create their own maple syrup in a unique cross-curricular learning experience.
"We have to check the buckets to make sure the sap is going up every time," explains second-grader Morrigan Duggan with enthusiasm. "The temperature needs to be above freezing for the sap to come out."
This maple syrup project, years in the making, is the brainchild of teachers Kim Minchin and Robert Rothwell, also known as “Mr. Bob”, who have transformed a New England tradition into a comprehensive learning opportunity for the entire school.
"We've been talking about doing this for probably four or five years," Minchin shares. "This was the year we decided to go whole-school because a lot of our students don't get to experience maple syrup weekend, where you go to farms and see the process."
What makes this project particularly valuable is how it integrates multiple subjects. Students are learning across disciplines – geography, math, science, and literacy – all through the authentic context of maple syrup production.
In math classes, students track the gallons of sap collected daily. Fourth graders work on converting measurements (gallons to cups, pints, and quarts), while second graders calculate temperature differences to understand how weather affects sap flow.
"I have a little more flexibility in math," Minchin explains. "We can still work on what they're learning in the classroom but use the context of maple syrup and sap collection to make it meaningful."
The maple sugaring process begins with identifying and tapping maple trees on school grounds. Though the playground features red maples rather than sugar maples, they still produce sap. Mr. Bob has also tapped about 14 sugar maple trees at the Spring Road library to ensure enough sap for production.
Students are involved in every step – from drilling holes and inserting taps to collecting sap daily and measuring volumes. They learn that it takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of maple syrup, a ratio that amazes even the adults.
"It looked like water," fellow second-grader Thomas Lapointe recalls of their first sap collection, "but when we tried to taste it, it was a little bit sugary."
Beyond academics, the project builds community and life skills. Students work together, communicating and problem-solving as they carefully collect and measure the sap.
"There's a lot of teamwork," explains Mr. Bob. "They have to communicate and plan together."
For many students, especially those who struggle in traditional classroom settings, the hands-on nature of the project provides a confidence boost.
"Our students don't always feel like they have that success," Minchin notes. "So to be able to have the floor and teach others about something they've experienced firsthand – it's pretty uplifting for their confidence."