ChatRoom
|
Ideas for ethnobotanical activities in the classroom.There are a great many types of activities that can be done in a classroom around the topic of ethnobotany. Below are some suggestions. This project is very flexible. It is hoped that as the year progresses, several fascinating plants will emerge to be studied and collaborative experiments and seed exchanges will take place. Here are some suggested activities: Interview older relatives about an interesting plant and find out how that plant was or is used in your family. These interviews should always include the name of the plant, the ethnic origin of the person being interviewed, the part of the plant used, what the plant is used for and how to prepare it. Interviews could also include short stories, recipes, history of and folk lore about the plant. This information can be posted in the Camp Internet "Garden Memory" field report form. Study and read about a plant of interest and write a summary of your findings. This information can be posted in the Camp Internet Plants Field Report Form. Collect plants and make herbarium specimens. An herbarium specimen is a plant which has been pressed, dried and attached to a strong piece of paper with identifying informtaion added. Botanists use herbarium collections to study, identify and keep track of all known plant species. How to make an herbarium specimenThe plant must be collected in the field at the time it is flowering or fruiting because identification is much easier when those parts are attached. The specimen including leaves,stem and flowers or fruit is then carefully placed in newspaper and pressed together between two pieces of flat cardboard. The specimens inside the cardboard are tied tightly together so that they will dry flat. After several days when the plants are fully dry, they are removed. The herbarium paper should be a strong cotton rag paper. A label with as much as possible of the following information should be glued to the lower right hand corner of the paper: Next, carefully place the plant on the paper and use a needle and thread to sew the main stem and heaviest parts of the plant neatly onto the paper. Take thin strips of brown tape to hold down the smaller leaves and other plant pieces that were are attached to the paper. Paste an envelope (a folded piece of paper) onto an empty area of the page to place bits of the plant that might fall off of the specimen. Finally the plant has to be diapered! A large piece of paper should be carefully folded over the specimen to protect it. Make a collection of the herbarium specimens (directions above). The specimens can be laminated with clear contact paper for greater longevity and placed into a folder or binder (the "diaper" can then be discarded.) The collection can be made into a book (or several books) such as "The Medicinal Plants Around Our School" or "The Wetland Plants (or Trees or Weeds) Around Our School." Share your findings on-line and discuss ideas for further investigation. Try out recipes, crafts or projects using a plant of interest. Cultivate a plant of interest to learn about its growth habits. Design and implement a control experiment to test the effectiveness, usefulness or biochemical properties of a plant. Some students may wish to present their results at a school science fair. Ethnobotany provides unlimited ideas for science projects. Some examples of science projects that have already grown out of the Ethnobotany project include: "The Effectivness of Raspberry Tea on Easing Menstrual Cramps", "Can the Food Plants Chayote and Hung Jo Help Control High Blood Pressure?", "Aloe vera as a skin softener", "Are Slippery Elm and Pommegranite Good Natural Remedies for a Sore Throat?", "Is Garlic a Natural Antibiotic?" and "Can Chammomile Tea Help Put Children to Sleep?" More ideas for experimenting with plants will be added to this bulletin board as time goes on. Return to Global-Garden Home |
|