Theme: Growing Cultural
Understanding
Ethnobotany
The People-Plant Connection
Continued from previous page
Starting with Plants
Rather than begin a study of people/plant relationships with
a particular culture, you might choose to focus your investigations
on a particular plant (corn, potatoes, oak trees, peanuts) or
group of plants used for a specific purpose (herbs, grains,
medicinal plants, dye plants).
Your students might want to explore such questions as: Where
did these originate? What myths and folklore are associated
with them? How do different cultures use and value the same
plant or plant group? Can we grow this/these plants in an indoor
or outdoor garden? Can we process or use them as other cultures
do, or experiment to "test" folk wisdom? How has the plant "adapted"
to technological and other human-influenced changes?
Survey family members, grocers, community elders, and
so on about how they use, grow, cook with, and value your selected
plant(s). Explore why differences may exist between cultures'
relationships with the same plant or group.
Trace the origins and histories of your plant(s), including
the roles they played for different cultures, how and when they
traveled to new cultures, and how they may have influenced the
course of history. Explore how the evolution of technology (e.g.,
the transition from hand-held scythes to combines for harvesting
wheat) affected plant evolution.
Exchange seeds of unusual, indigenous, or culturally significant
plants with classrooms elsewhere, then try growing them.
Share questions and information to discover how the plants are
used and valued in different areas.
Research, then try to create some important plant products.
Tap a maple tree and make syrup; make and use dyes from homegrown
and collected plants; make paper; make aromatic oils or potpourris
with homegrown herbs and flowers; grow and grind wheat into
flour.
Identify the origin and history of each ingredient of a
common food, then try growing them -- a pizza garden or
a tostada garden, for instance.
Conduct a botanical survey of a plot by observing, collecting,
and mounting specimens. Describe, then identify the plants and
discover which are native and which have been introduced, and
how they've been used throughout history. Also discover what
ecological roles they play.
Investigate ways in which humans use or grow plants to attract
or protect wildlife. Try raising sunflowers for birdseed,
gourds for birdhouses, nectar and host plants for butterfly
gardens, or establishing wildlife habitat areas.
Grow an indoor or outdoor herb garden, and explore folklore,
recipes, and other uses that different cultures have associated
with each plant.
Investigate common foods that have been important staples
in another culture and have become popular "novelty foods"
here (tortillas, which are a staple in many Hispanic countries
have become popular here in the form of chips, for example).
Experiment to test the effectiveness, usefulness, or biochemical
properties of plants (e.g., aloe for skin or burns or slippery
elm for sore throats). Caution students not to try using any
plant for medicinal or other purposes unless it's deemed safe
by reliable adults and reference materials!
Examine a range of plant products. Invite students to
work individually or in pairs to brainstorm some useful plants
and products that are made from them (for instance, aloe plant
and skin lotion). Collect matching items or photos, then mix
them up and invite students to try to match each plant with
its product. Encourage observations and questions that can lead
to further investigations.
Some Plants to Consider
The following tidbits may spark your interest in a few plants
your students can explore.
Garlic. Although it sends some of us rushing for the breath mints, this humble bulb has a rich history of folklore and use, from repelling vampires to building gladiators' strength to curing everything from the common cold to cancer. In the classroom, garlic grows rapidly from storebought cloves in water or soil mix. Invite students to explore it peeled, unpeeled, and crushed; describe its tastes; experiment with different ways of cooking with and growing it; and test some of the folk wisdom regarding garlic's powers.
Grasses. Grass seeds make up the basic foods of nearly all people in the world. Half of the world's population depends on the seeds of one grass alone: rice. The ground seeds of wheat are believed to have been grown for food for 10,000 years (ancient Rome's wealth was in large part based on the wheat trade.) Corn, also cultivated for thousands of years, is used for animal feed, cereals, and breads, not to mention its use in corn syrup, corn oil, paint, plastics, soaps, whiskey and many other products. Sugarcane, one of the largest grasses, is raised for the sugar we obtain from the crushed, boiled, and crystallized stems of this plant. When you factor in the indirect ways that we depend on grass for food - via grass and grain-eating cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals - it becomes even more evident how important these plants are to our survival. (The root systems of grasses also play a key ecological role in preventing soil erosion.)
Invite your students to grow and compare some of the cereal grasses such as wheat, rice, corn, rye, oats, and barley indoors or in your outdoor garden. You can purchase these grain seeds from garden centers or health food stores. Although they won't grow to maturity indoors under lights, they can provide a backdrop for exploring and experimenting with these essential plants. Consider initiating such an exploration by asking students Who eats grass for breakfast?, then have them explore cereal boxes to discover the answer.
Peanuts. These strange underground seeds are world travelers, having originated in South America more than 5,000 years ago where they were honored by indigenous people. After being brought back to Europe by Spanish conquistadors, peanuts were traded for spices in Africa, where they were consumed and valued. They were finally transported to North America as food by Africans brought here as slaves. Although interest in peanuts as more than pig feed was initially limited here, improvements in planting and harvesting equipment and the fertile imagination of George Washington Carver (who developed more than 300 uses for peanuts!) helped their popularity soar.
Peanut plants from storebought, raw, unroasted peanuts are relatively easy to grow in the classroom, providing a nice backdrop for studying history, geography, and nutrition, and for a range of growing investigations.
Potatoes. Throughout history, they've been alternately maligned as food fit only for animals and revered as "apples of life." Though they've been often misunderstood, these unassuming tubers kept Incan civilizations thriving, helped fuel the Industrial Revolution, triggered mass population shifts, and are now one of the world's four most important food crops. They are also used to produce paper, adhesive, biodegradable plastics, and even cosmetics.
In the classroom and outdoor garden, students might experiment with different ways of getting potato pieces to grow, test how different preparation styles affect texture and taste, explore and raise some unusual "heirloom" varieties, search for potato products, and try some potato dishes of different cultures.
Sunflowers. Native Americans discovered wild sunflowers, ground the seeds into a nutritious meal, and used different parts of the plant to cure maladies ranging from chest pains to rattlesnake bites and to make yellow and purple dyes. They used sunflower oil for cooking, treating hair, and as a base for pigment. These first Americans soon began to cultivate and domesticate sunflowers and paid the valuable plants homage in religious ceremonies. Early European explorers, always alert to new treasures from the New World, brought sunflower seeds back home, where they inspired little interest until they reached Russia. It seems that the church there in the 19th century had forbidden Russian people from eating any oil-rich foods during Lent, but failed to put sunflowers on the list, so people eagerly adopted them as a rich food source. Beyond mere practical uses, these compelling flowers have remained an inspiration to artists and poets!
Raising sunflowers in classroom gardens (even indoors!) can provide a centerpiece for exploring plant growth and tropisms; pollination, fertilization and seed production; plant/animal interactions, nutrition; and to inspire lessons in history, math, and the arts.
Other Plants to Investigate:
Consider investigating the rich histories and ethnobotany of some of the following plants and plant groups: amaranth, chile peppers, chocolate, coffee, corn, cotton, dye plants, flax, ginger, gourds, grapes, herbs, horseradish, and trees (as a group or as individual species).
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Author: Eve Pranis
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© 2009
National Gardening Association