NH Ag in the Classroom Maple Symposium

Join us for this educator focused, educator developed symposium on maple sugaring in schools.  With a variety of teacher-led workshops, the symposium is an opportunity for teachers new to sugaring to learn how to get started and veteran teachers to share ideas on how to grow their program.  Talk to experts and vendors, win a raffle prize and visit the Robert J Lister sugarhouse!

The agenda for the day includes:

9:00 Welcome Address
9:30 – 12:20 Workshops (see workshop descriptions below)
12:20 – 1:20 Lunch (included in registration cost)
1:30 – 3:20 Workshops (see workshop descriptions below)
The Collaboration Corner will be open all day as an invitation to meet new people, sit, have a chat and a cup of coffee, while swapping ideas, dreams, and challenges for your maple sugaring endeavors. 
The Sugar House at R.J. Lister will have limited seat workshops in the morning but will be open for tours in the afternoon. 

Equipment vendors will be present throughout the day to meet and discuss equipment needs. 

Workshop Descriptions:

1. Middle School Integration Workshop: Derek Davis, Mountain View MS, Goffstown, NH Explore how to seamlessly incorporate a maple curriculum into your middle school classroom. This session will highlight current integration strategies, showcase practical examples, and provide opportunities for collaborative discussion and idea-sharing. By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with actionable plans and creative approaches to bring a vibrant maple program to life in their own schools.

2.  Integrating Maple Lessons by Grade Level Across a K-4 Curriculum: Moharimet Elementary School Members of the Moharimet ES staff will discuss the nuts and bolts of how they designed a K-4 cross disciplinary curriculum for maple and how they use maple sugaring as an anchor point for students to latch on to. Not just the what and the how, but also the why they feel it’s an important part of what they do at Moharimet.

3. Beyond Pancakes: Becky Denslow, Great Brook MS, Antrim, NH In this workshop, participants will use maple syrup to make maple marshmallows!  This cooking lab can be recreated in the classroom with a hot plate and a hand mixer.  We'll go over the science of how this all works to share with your students and at the end, you'll enjoy a cup of hot cocoa with your own maple confections.  

4. Safety in the Sugarhouse:  Jim Davis, Madbury FD, Moharimet ES, Madbury, NH One of the biggest concerns with students and maple sugaring is safety. Whether using propane or wood, the evaporating process can be the concern of parents, school administration and the local fire department as there is a potential for injury.  Learn how to mitigate against those potential concerns as well as assure those concerned that sugaring can and will be done safely where you operate.

5. Traditional Sugar on Snow: Jesse Ingerson, Heartwood Charter School, Jefferson, NH Participants will be learning about the time-honored tradition/practice in the New England area of sugar on snow. And practicing to complete the activity in a classroom setting, with setting up the snow bowls/warming the maple syrup up safely in a classroom setting, and getting to enjoy a treat of sugar on snow with pickles and doughnuts on the side.

6. Lessons on Bark and Vascular Systems: Presented by RJ Lister Academy Participants will explore the critical role bark plays in protection, growth, and nutrient exchange, while also diving into the tree’s vascular system—xylem, phloem, and how each contributes to sap production. Through hands-on demonstrations and engaging models, teachers will learn how environmental factors, seasonal changes, and tree physiology combine to create the sweet sap used in maple syrup production. 

7. Lessons on Density and Reverse Osmosis: Presented by RJ Lister Academy Through hands-on activities, participants will investigate the density differences between sap and syrup, explore how sugar concentration affects buoyancy, and learn the science behind tools like hydrometers. The session also highlights modern maple syrup processing techniques, including how reverse osmosis machines help remove water from sap more efficiently. These activities can be used at all grade levels. 

8. Lessons on Modeling Leaves and Photosynthesis: Presented by RJ Lister Academy Step into the world of living leaves in this hands-on teacher workshop that brings plant physiology to life. Explore how leaves breathe, make food, and move water through their delicate internal structures. Use microscopes to view stomata in action, and experience how form follows function at the cellular level. Engage in a cooperative game that models photosynthesis and reveals the conservation of matter in every breath of green life. Create and take home leaf models that highlight the external anatomy used to identify maple and other tree species—all while gaining classroom-ready ideas for connecting students to the living systems around them. 

9.  Little Help From Your Friends: JJ Prior, Symonds School, Keene Starting a maple sugaring project can seem daunting, but with the right support it can develop into a manageable and cooperative endeavour! We'll discuss building connections outside the school with neighbors, businesses, and experts in the community who are often very willing and excited to be a part of an innovative learning project. As you get more comfortable with sugaring at school, there is a natural urge to expand and improve with new tools and equipment. We'll discuss options for fundraising and grants to support your maple sugaring program.

10. The Basics of Tapping Maple Trees including tips for using Tubing systems: Rick Sweeney, Weare, NH

11. How to get your Analyticals Spot on, measuring your Brix and grade properly: Dale Smith,  Mt. Crumpit Farm, New Boston, NH This workshop is designed to sharpen your skills around determining density (Brix score) and the grade of your syrup and take the subjectiveness out of the equation.  Participants will learn how to calculate these values using hydrometers as well as refractometers for density, as well as color comparison and by light transmission using a spectrophotometer.  Learn from an expert!

12. Sugar Shack Tour and History of Maple Syrup: Presented by RJ Lister Academy Step into the heart of maple syrup production with this immersive teacher workshop hosted in a fully operating, school run sugar shack. Participants will explore the tools and technology used in transforming sap into syrup, from a propane evaporator to all the tools needed to filter and bottle syrup. Along the way, we’ll highlight the long rich history and cultural significance of maple sugaring across North America.