TYPICAL LESSON PLANS in 



trough. When does the sap run more vigorously? On 

 cloudy days or during sunshine ? Boil the sap down until 

 you have a little syrup or sugar. While the soft maple 

 will not yield as much sugar as the sugar maple, it yields 

 enough to make the process worth while from the stand- 

 point of the children. 



Watch the bud clusters in the early spring. What is 

 happening to them? Place a few twigs in a bottle of 

 water in a schoolroom window until the buds open and 

 the dainty little flowers are revealed. Watch for the ap- 

 pearance of the flowers out of doors also. Have the smaller 

 buds developed into flowers? These must be watched a 

 little longer to see what comes of them. Watch their un- 

 folding and the growth of the leaves. This can be well 

 studied in the schoolroom if the twigs are kept in fresh 

 water and in the light. Outdoor observations upon the 

 same point should also be made. The best results will be 

 gained by taking a few moments each day for a number of 

 days to note the changes that are taking place. When 

 these observations are finished the children will know that 

 a bud develops into a twig with many leaves. Leave with 

 them the question as to whether leaves continue to open 

 up at the end of the twig. Toward the end of the term 

 examine the twigs again with this in mind. Encourage 

 them to watch some particular tree during the summer to 

 see how long new leaves continue to appear or what other 

 changes may be noted. 



After the flowers have disappeared watch the rapid de- 

 velopment of the fruit. Have three sketches made, each 

 at a different time, showing the growth of the seeds and the 

 wings. Do you find that the paired seeds are always about 



