The
St. Lawrence Lowland: Natural Resources 
These Web sites will provide
you with background information.
Maple Syrup: The Thousand Year-Old Recipe
Web
Links
Minerals
and Metals
Natural Resources Canada provides
this student-friendly Web site to help students learn more about minerals
found in the St. Lawrence Lowland region. There are text descriptions
and photographs of each mineral. For games, puzzles, posters, and activities,
click on the NRCan Site link and then on the NRCat's Kids' link.
Maple
Syrup
Maple syrup and maple sugar are
well-known commodities in the St. Lawrence Lowland region. This Web site
looks at the 1000-Year-Old Recipe for making maple syrup created by Aboriginal
peoples in the region. There are interesting historical images to show
students how maple syrup has been processed through the ages. You will
also find other interesting topics to explore by clicking on the "Back"
button at the bottom of this page.
Answer
Key
Maple
Syrup: The Thousand-Year-Old Recipe
This
Web site from the Collections
of the Museum of Civilization helps students to
gather information about maple syrup and provides them with the opportunity
to examine historical drawings. A key point for students to understand
is the long tradition of making maple syrup that began with First Nations.
They will also come to understand that the production of maple syrup is
unique to this region.
After
students have completed the activity, review their responses to the Web
site evaluation and discuss the reasons for their answers.
Answer
Key
- Instructions
for preparing a food item
- Because
the making of maple syrup was known to First Nations long before the
arrival of Europeans
- Sugar
maple and black maple trees
- The
sugar content in other maple trees is too low
- Maple
syrup and maple sugar
- Honey
- Maple
moon month: A full moon in spring, usually in March
Sugaring
off period: The spring season, when sap flows, usually in March
Sweet
water: Maple sap for boiling down into syrup
- Because
it takes many hours of work to prepare the final product
- The
following ideas should appear in students' completed charts:
|
First
Nations |
Early
Europeans |
Present
Day |
Collecting
sap |
Cut
a diagonal slash in each lower tree trunk
Inserted
a hollow reed to allow the sap to drip into a small bark container
|
Followed
the methods taught to them by First Nations, but used wood or metal
pails to collect the sap |
Plastic
pipes are inserted in the trees |
Carrying
sap |
Carried
to larger bark or log containers |
Used
wood or metal pails to carry the sap |
Sap
is transported by plastic pipes to a central plant |
Boiling
sap |
Used
fire-heated stones to boil the sap to a dark, sweet syrup
Further
boiling produced maple sugar |
Used
large cast-iron kettles hung by chains over open fires |
A
central evaporating system turns the sap into maple syrup and sugar
|
Click
here
to view the student activity.
BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
|
