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Ethnobotany

Valentine’s Day Botany

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 02:16
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By: 
Sarah Pounders
Right Side Box: 

Download related lessons Where did that Bouquet Come From?

and Flower Power: Making Flower Arrangements.

The cacao tree and rose bush are the botanical royalty of Valentine’s Day. What better way to show your love than through a gift of chocolate and flowers?

With plant products in the limelight, Valentine’s provides you with the perfect opportunity to show students the important role our green friends play in our celebrations and traditions. Here are a few fun facts to share with your students this Valentine’s Day:

The Cacao or Chocolate Tree

Researching the Past, to Discover the Future

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:54
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Grade Level: 8-12

Materials:

  • Posterboard for six groups of students

Exploration

1. As a class, list what the students think are the most important plants for their nation. Discuss why each of these plants may be on the list. Ask the students to give a general location of where these plants (regions and climates) are grown.

Sugar Snow

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 20:44
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Materials
- Types of sugar (i.e., maple syrup, molasses, white sugar, brown sugar, honey), enough for each student to sample
- Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Share Chapter 7: The Sugar Snow, pg. 117-130. An excellent account of tapping trees for maple sugar. ISBN:  978-0060797508

Baking Bread to Nurture Cultural Understanding

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 02:45
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When Ginger Clarke’s kindergarteners participated in the harvesting of their first school garden, yanking zucchini was surely a highlight. But then came the taste test. “None of the kids liked it either raw or cooked,” says Ginger. Determined to find a way to get students to try the versatile vegetable, Ginger invited the class to use it to make bread from scratch. It was a hands-down hit. “The kids were amazed by how much they loved it,” she explains.

Bringing Social Studies to Life in School Gardens

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 01:48
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As students sow, grow, and reap the fruits of school gardens, science and math lessons are naturally relevant. But consider the added possibilities for using school plots as a compelling lens for social studies and history. After all, exploring how food is (and has been) raised, transformed, and consumed across the globe can reveal a lot about communities and cultures, economies, human settlement and migration, changing world views, the influence of geography and climate, and more.

Plants and People - Himalayan Expedition Part 1

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:43
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When you step out of your tent, the rain-soaked landscape reminds you that a sleet storm blew through camp during the night. Makalu's peak is still hidden in the clouds. Before long the rest of your teammates are awake and you gather around the fire, eating toast with butter and drinking hot tea. Now that you've met some of the people of Makalu-Barun and learned a little about their surroundings, you begin to think about the relationship between the two. Do these mountain people use the natural resources found in Makalu-Barun to survive?

Plants and People - Appalachian Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:43
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You are amazed at how many useful plants there are in the mountains. The fact that plants like ginseng are rare is a reminder, though, that the variety of useful plants available in the mountains today is nothing like what it used to be. Traditionally, most collectors were local people who harvested enough for their families. Sometimes they would gather additional plants to sell in the local market. In recent years, however, there has been increased global demand for natural products like medicinal herbs. This has brought outside collectors to the mountain.

Plants and People - Appalachian Expedition Part 1

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:42
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When you step out of your tent, the rain-soaked landscape reminds you that a storm blew through camp during the night. It's a little cloudy out, but the sun is already trying to break through. Before long the rest of your teammates are awake and you gather around the fire, eating toast with butter and drinking hot tea. Now that you know a little bit about the people of Blair Mountain and have seen their natural landscape, you begin to think about the relationship between the two. Do these mountain people use the natural resources found on Blair Mountain to survive?

Plants and People - Andes Expedition Part 2

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 16:42
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Now that you are more familiar with some plant uses, you try to guess what certain plants might be used for. When you encounter the bluish-purple flowers of Lupinus mutabilis, you immediately guess these plants are used for dyeing. It turns out you are right-the leaves, flowers, and stems of this plant are used to dye cloth. After all you have learned, you are curious about how many of these same plants are used to produce medicine and vitamins sold in the United States. You decide to keep track of the medicinal plants and check when you get back home.

Plants and People - Andes Expedition Part 1

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 16:40
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When you step out of your tent, the rain-soaked landscape reminds you that a sleet storm blew through camp during the night. Huascarán's peaks are hidden in the clouds but the sun is trying to break through. Before long the rest of your teammates are awake and you gather around the fire, eating toast with butter and drinking hot tea. Now that you've met the people of Huascarán and learned a little about their natural landscape, you begin to think about the relationship between the two. Do these mountain people use the natural resources found on Huascarán to survive?

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