Ratios of Maple Syrup and Sweet Water

The purpose of this activity is for students to recognize how Traditional Teachings and Traditional Knowledge about sugar maple trees underpin an aspect of Anishinaabe identity. Moreover, it is crucial in this part of the lesson to guide students towards thinking critically about how maple syrup or maple products are a significant part of Canada's identity. Consider discussing Canada's flag as an example of how maple trees are used to tell a story. 

1. Read the story:

Depending on the age and experience of the learners, either the student(s) or the educator reads: Keepers of the Earth - 'Nanaboozo and the Maple Tree' and/or 'Nanaboozho saves Nokomis'.

2. Watch videos:

Students watch selected parts of the videos 'Ziinzibaakwadgummig - The Sugar Bush' and 'Collecting the Maple Sap' (included in this lesson plan) to explore how sugar maple trees and maple syrup production are components of Anishinaabe identity. 

3. Show a picture of Canada's flag, highlighting the maple leaf. 

4. Use prompt questions to stimulate thinking and discussion:

"What do you notice?"

"What do you wonder?"

"How might the perspectives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people differ?"

"Why might the Indigenous story not be part of Canada's national identity as told through iconic images such as Canada's flag?"

"What do these stories tell us about Anishinaabe People's relationship with Land and their sense of identity?"

Guiding question to the educator:

"How are your students ‘seeing it' (the vision)?

Spiritual Learners - are accommodated through hearing Nanaboozho stories and teachings. The videos highlight the importance of relationships with the natural world, such as when the Knowledge Holders offer tobacco to the sugar maple tree before collecting any sweet water. This, in turn, signifies the importance of reciprocity and that we ask Creation for permission to take what we need.

Physical Learners - are supported through the images of Canada's flag and videos of collecting sugar maple sap. 

Intellectual Learners - This activity activates logical and critical thinking through analyzing the dominant narratives told and reinforced in Canada with regards to Canada's claim of maple trees as a symbol of its national identity. In essence, this may require students to re-visit the Canadian identity.

This activity provides opportunities for students to recognize the volume of sweet water required each year to support the sugar maple industry in this region of Turtle Island (North America). Students also explore how Canada's identity claim to maple syrup can erase Indigenous Peoples without whom this industry could not have existed. 

Required materials for this activity are: a cylinder, pipette, and tablespoon.

1. Measurements:

- Ratio of 40:1, sweet water to syrup. 

- Experiment: Use a measuring cylinder and pipette. If you do not have a measuring cylinder use a tablespoon which is 15 ml.

Questions:

"How many drops are in 10 ml, 1 litre, or 40 litres?"

Using the video to time the drops, "How long would it take to gather all the sweet water from one tap?" 

"How many hours a day does the sweet water run?" This question does not have just one answer as it depends on many environmental factors. Educators can use 12 hours for the purpose of calculation, keeping in mind that sweet water flows mainly during the daytime, which can be cold and the days are often very short.

2. Scale it up.  

For baseline information, approximately 40,000,000 litres of maple syrup were produced in Canada in 2019.

"What does this tell you about peoples' relationship with sugar maple trees?"

"How much of this natural resource do we take and consume each year?"

Note: If choosing to explore Indigenous identity erasure, have students answer the questions in 'minds-on' activity through doing research. In essence, what is important is for students to recognize that Indigenous Peoples, such as the Anishinaabe People, have been harvesting and processing sweet water into maple syrup for thousands of years, whereas this is still somewhat new for Settlers or non-Indigenous peoples.

Key question for students: "What are the origins of maple syrup?" 

Guiding questions for educators:

"How are your students ‘relating to’ the vision?"

"How are your students ‘figuring out’ the vision?"

Physical Learners - This activity supports visual learners when students explore Canadian symbolism (e.g. Canada’s flag) in relation to concepts of identity. Visual learners also have the opportunity to witness the ratio of 40:1 through engaging with tactile or kinaesthetic activities, e.g. when establishing the ratios of 40:1.

Intellectual Learners - This activity activates logical and critical thinking through analyzing the dominant narratives told and reinforced in Canada with regards to claims of maple trees as a symbol of its national identity. This research may result in emotional responses; students may discover that the dominant narrative re-told in Canada may be problematic. 

This activity is an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning from this lesson. The reflection aspect can be tailored towards the learning environment in your class. For example:

- a sharing circle can be supportive;

- students can answer questions that emerged through inquiry and submit a written reflection;

- students develop and deliver a community presentation (if possible).

Incorporate a discussion time with students to reflect upon their learning.

Guiding questions to the students:

"What captured your attention?"

"What was new information?"

"The ratio is 40:1 and Canada produced 40 million litres of maple syrup in 2019. Based on these figures, how much sweet water is being drawn from maple sugar trees each year?"

"The volume of harvested sweet water has increased since 2018. What does this tell us about peoples' relationship with the environment?”

“How might Canada's identity claim to the sugar maple impact Indigenous Peoples? What might Indigenous Peoples feel when they are not recognized in the industry?”

“What are the long-term impacts of over harvesting sweet water as opposed to collecting what the trees give us?”

Guiding question for the educator: 

“How are your students ‘doing’ the vision?”

Spiritual Learners: Students are prompted to realize that relationships with trees, and the natural world, is a core element of harvesting and processing sugar maple sap into syrup.

Physical Learners: Students can reflect on their physical learning through calculating the 40:1 ratio.

Emotional Learners: In that this activity includes elements of social justice, students have the opportunity to express their emotional learning with regards to Canada's claim of maple trees as its national identity. 

Intellectual Learners: Students calculate the volume of sweet water used on an annual basis and recognize how dependant humans are on the natural world for survival. In addition, students researching the Indigenous erasure component of this activity can share their research findings and potential questions for further investigation.