Downstairs: Firsts
February 10, 2023
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"And when you put your ear close to the bucket, you can listen to it dripping into the bucket!"
"There was a vanilla glaze all over it!"
Can you guess what the two children quoted above were talking about? We had a week of firsts - tapping the maple trees and visiting the creek!
The first tree we were set to tap was one close to our playground space. Evan led us in the process, which began with identifying sugar maples and measuring the trees. We looked closely at the terminal buds on the branches, to see which shape and color identified a tree as a sugar maple, from which we could harvest sap. Once a tree was identified, either from bud reading or a previously-identified tree marked with a ribbon, we had to measure the tree to see if it was big enough to tap. The size of a Fungi Friend's hug is about the right size for a tree that is big enough to tap! Each additional five inches makes a tree big enough for another bucket.
Then we looked closely at the tree to see where taps had been placed in previous years, in order to place this year's tap. First we used the drill to make a pilot hole, cleaned it out, then hammered in a spile.
Sometimes the sap started flowing right away, while other times the sap was slower to emerge. Either way, we added a bucket and then listened for drips. We also had several opportunities to explore and practice using the tapping tools on old stumps and logs around campus.
We were excited to tap Love, as well, the tree that we have been caring for this year. We added two taps, one using an electric drill and one using a hand drill. Two small groups worked with Evan on Tuesday and Thursday to tap additional trees, including adding a third bucket to Love! We have also had the chance to check sap buckets and empty the ones that were filling up. After less than 36 hours, we were surprised to collect about 2 1/2 gallons of sap from just one of Love's buckets!
On Wednesday, we posed the following question at Morning Meeting: how many drips of SAP has LOVE dropped in their buckets? This was a great chance to practice mathematical thinking and estimation. We have already noticed that one of the activities students are enjoying in our play kitchen is filling up different containers with loose parts. We will continue to provide opportunities to interact with size, volume, and weight as we go through maple sugaring season. We also started "sap & maple time news" to share the ongoing discoveries.
Annie - 23 drips
August - 9 combined with 2
Sophia - 900 drips
Eleanor - 17 mixed with 900 drips
Emily - 5, 600, 7 drips
Xochitl - a medium amount (like the bucket is ½ full)
Isa - 1000
Asher - 3
Perryn - 600
Sula - 100 drips
Max - 600 drips
Hailey - maybe 1000 and a half
Hazel - 7, 8, 9 drips
Alec - I think 29 drips
Naomi - 5 drips
Neta - 10 drips
Our other adventure this week was our first visit to the creek! When we were tapping Love, we were able to see down the hill to the creek, noticing the ice and snow, and listening to the rushing water. So, on an impromptu warm and muddy Wednesday, we headed down to investigate the creek up close. We started by going over our boundaries to make sure we would be safe hikers: staying in a one-by-one line, keeping our listening ears ready, and touching the water with our hands only. We stopped a few times on our hike - saying hi to Spiky Joe, noticing some cool fungi, listening to the noises of the creek getting louder.
We finally reached the creek! We were eager to touch the (cold) water, explore the ice and snow at the edges of the creek, and toss leaves into the creek. We can't wait for our next trip, to see how the creek and its surroundings change over time with the seasons.
Friday was our final day of pajamas & baking as the only friends on campus, but we reassured the Fungi Friends that our cooking projects would continue. We explored yeast as we made dough for pretzels! As we gain more cooking skills, we are able to attempt projects that are more involved and require more specialized skills. Together at Morning Meeting, we "bloomed" the yeast, allowing it to bubble and mix with warm water and sugar. We noticed how it looked when the yeast was first mixed in, and then how it changed as the yeast dissolved; we also noticed a smell that reminded some of us of "cheerios, nut milk, or bubblegum." Then, we added flour a little bit at a time and kneaded the dough. The dough had to rise for an hour, but we kept a close eye on it. We unveiled the risen dough and shared our observations regarding changes in size, shape, color, texture, and smell. Finally, we were able to roll and shape our pretzels! After a quick boil and an egg wash, they were ready for the oven. We reminded each other not to peek, so we wouldn't have runaway pretzels like our cookies last week. We were able to choose one or two dips for our pretzels as well, a maple butter made with Randolph maple syrup or a slightly spicy-sweet mustard maple sauce. While cooking is always a scientific exploration, this week there were so many opportunities to make predictions and see change over time.
Watching the yeast bloom
Measuring flour
Mixing the dough
Kneading the dough
Checking on the dough during its rise
Unveiling the risen dough and noticing any changes in it
Rolling and forming our pretzels
Adding an egg wash after a quick boil
The finished pretzels and dips
Two thumbs up from the Fungi Friends!
We have also been busy working on a special project that we will share with you next Friday...we can't wait to see you at 1 p.m. for Family Storytelling! Save the date :)
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