Flat Stanley came to visit

I think that the Flat Stanley project is such a good one for kids K-2.  Nathan and I spent some quality time with Flat Stanley today and we're sending it off to Luke's class tomorrow (shhh! Jodi, don't let Luke see this post!)

Flat Stanley had a good time while visiting Lansing, Michigan.  He spent part of a day at Fenner Nature Center.  When he first arrived at Fenner, he helped out with some research that is being done in the forest.  He helped to dig some soil that is going to be sent into the laboratory for testing:

Then Stanley asked if he could visit the Sugar Maple area, also known as the Sugar Bush.  Since Stanley had traveled from Utah, he wasn’t familiar with the way that maple syrup is produced.

In the spring when the sap is traveling from the roots up to the branches of the maple trees, people put “taps” into large maple trees so that some of the sap runs out into buckets on the trees.  It was too late in the spring for Flat Stanley to see the taps and buckets, but he did find the hole left behind from one of the taps from just a month ago:

Flat Stanley looked into a pot where the sap can be poured.  A small fire can be built under the pot and the sap is boiled until it thickens.  Once it thickens, it can be put into glass bottles and it is ready to be used on pancakes and waffles.  Here is the pot:

Next, Stanley went into the Nature Center Building.  He had been wondering what the maple syrup tastes like.  Luckily, inside the Store he found some maple syrup sugar candies.  He is bringing some back to your class so that you can try it.  He’s waited all this time.  Will you please share some with him?

Before leaving Fenner Nature Center, Flat Stanley stopped by the bird watching window.  There were some pretty yellow and red birds outside, so he picked up the binoculars and took a closer look:

Then, with a little help, he put the maple candies into a box, slipped inside himself and began waiting for the box to be opened back in your classroom! J