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SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany

Course Description:
Students will be able to identify, compare, and contrast the distinguishing morphological and reproductive characteristics of plants used by Micronesians; observe, describe, communicate, and experience the uses of plants in their cultural context.

  • Prerequisite Courses: ESL 089 Reading V

A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOS):
The student will be able to:

  1. Define and explain the concepts, principles, and theories of a field of science.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the major cultural issues of a person's own culture as well as other cultures.
  3. Demonstrate proficiency in the geographical, historical, and cultural literacy of the Micronesian region.

B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) - GENERAL
The student will be able to:

  1. Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.
  2. Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as food, as raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.

SLO

PLO 1

PLO 2

PLO 3

1

ID

 

I

1

 

ID

ID

I = Introduced
D = Demonstrated
M = Mastered

C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) – SPECIFIC
The student will be able to:

General SLO 1: 1. Identify local plants, their reproductive strategies, and morphology.

Student Learning Outcomes

Assessment strategies

1.1 Identify local plants by local and scientific names.

Oral question and answer during field experiences. Tests during the term. Final examination.

1.2 Compare and contrast the distinguishing reproductive characteristics of different phyla of plants including mosses, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.

Identification of reproductive parts during field experiences, tests during the term.

1.3 Label the key morphological features of the different phyla of plants including mosses, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms including the morphology of the reproductive structures.

Tests.

General SLO 2: Communicate and describe the cultural use of local plants for healing, as food, as raw materials, and in traditional social contexts.

Student Learning Outcomes

Assessment strategies

2.1 Communicate and describe the healing uses of local plants and the cultural contexts in which that healing occurs.

Individual presentations on a healing plant from their culture.

2.2 Communicate and describe the food uses of local plants and describe the production process.

Student presentation including the food, local name of the plant(s) used, local name of the food, cultural and social meaning of the food.

2.3 Communicate and describe the use of plants for transportation, for shelter, and in other material culture applications.

Students perform individual presentations using a plant based material culture item.

2.4 Describe the use, role, and importance of psychoactive plants within their traditional ceremonial cultural contexts.

Students engage in a field experience to observe the use of a plant in a traditional ceremonial cultural context.

D. COURSE CONTENT

  1. Cyanophyta, mosses, lycophyta, and monilophyta
  2. Healing plants
  3. Gymnosperms
  4. Food plants
  5. Angiosperms: vegetative morphology
  6. Material culture plants
  7. Angiosperms: floral morphology
  8. Psychoactive plants

E. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

This course emphasizes participation via presentations by students, hikes on which students learn to field identify plants, the preparation of local foods to share with other students, field trips to botanic gardens and ethnobotanically relevant ceremonies. Students engage in group work, hikes, field trips, presentations. Other methods include lectures and guest speakers.

F. REQUIRED TEXT AND COURSE MATERIALS
Lee Ling, D. (2011). Micronesian ethnobotany: a course companion (2nd ed.). Pohnpei, FM: College of Micronesia-FSM (or latest edition).
Balick, M. J. (2009). Ethnobotany of Pohnpei: plants, people, and island culture. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press (or latest edition).

G. REFERENCE MATERIALS
none

H. INSTRUCTIONAL COST
Field trips or hikes to a local botanic garden where possible. Materials for activities. Each term the course on Pohnpei also observes a kava ceremony with associated costs.

I. EVALUATION
None

J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
None

 

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