Positives

• Students can make informed decisions when purchasing maple products, as the article provides Connecticut's "Maple Managed for Birds" label and links to a list of bird-friendly maple producers.
• This brief article allows students to read and discuss it within one class period.

Additional Prerequisites

• Some students may need the terms tree cavities, age classes, canopy, and others defined before they read the article.
• Students should understand the ecological importance of biodiversity.
  

Differentiation

• To connect to students' background knowledge, teachers can ask their students about maple products or if they have any experience tapping trees.
• Students can read this article at home to prepare for an in-class discussion on how American food production can become more sustainable.
• This article can augment a lesson on various forest ecosystems and the services they provide.
• This article can enhance a classroom discussion where students consider their maple syrup consumption.
• Students can research the birds living in this habitat and write informative pieces about them.
• Language arts students can practice persuasive skills by creating an advertisement encouraging others to purchase bird-friendly maple products.