Homeschool Units
By Tara Lynn Osburn
Does cabin fever have
you wondering why
you ever decided to
homeschool in the first
place? Does the 3 feet of snow
outside your door feel more and
more like an insurmountable wall? Would you be
willing to sacrifice a mocha latte for just a teensy
sign that spring is on its way?
Presenting (drum roll, please!) . . . a unit study
with the potential to bring a multi-age group of
learners closer to gain new knowledge of science,
history, geography, math, and more: The Maple
Syrup Unit Study.
The late winter months of February and March are
an excellent time to anticipate the miracle that is
spring, nowhere else better demonstrated than in
the brief season of maple syrup harvesting.
As Advent is to Christmas, the flowing of
sap brings promise that spring is just
around the corner. The collection of sap
for the making of maple syrup has long
been a family affair, with men, women,
and children joining together in both
the work and celebration. As Janet
Eagleson explains in The Maple
Syrup Book (Boston Mills Press,
2006), “Sugaring was a time of hard
work but, as the family sat and talked
while they waited for the sap to
become sugar, also a time of bonding,
bringing people together in the first
warm weeks after a long winter.”
Likewise, the study and experience
of maple syruping as a family today
can draw parents, children, and siblings
closer together.
Maple Syrup
A Unit Study
