Introductory Ethnobotany

Instructors

MANOA
 
Laura (Weiss) Shiels
weissL@hawaii.edu
St.John 411b
Office: 956-3931
Office Hours: Tues 1:30 -2:30pm

Tuesday Syllabus

Syllabus updated for a flexible Fall 2008 Semester.

Lab room: St. John 157



Grading

Class Participation


30%

Quizzes        

20%

 Homework

20%

Final Presentation

30%

Quizzes

Five to ten minutes will be allotted for a quiz at the beginning of some of the labs. The material will be based on the previous lab. Missed quizzes (e.g. due to lateness or unexcused absence) cannot be made up, unless there is a prior arrangement with your TA.

 
Homework
Your TA will periodically assign homework assignments due the following lab period. 
 
Student Projects
Give a 5-10 minute oral presentation to the class about an ethnobotanical project you have worked on during the semester, specifically for this lab, and separate from your lecture project.  Tell us the ETHNOBOTANICAL SIGNIFICANCE  of what you did.  Some potential ideas are below:
 

Option 1. Web Pages

Prepare a set of web pages as three plant profiles with the following structure:

  1. Cover page with photo or drawing of each plant, Latin name of plant, name of author of these pages and links to the pages below.
  2. Related information links. Includes links to as many other pages as possible that discuss the same plant. These should be sorted into themes.
  3. Plant description. Copy from flora, etc. in quotes and cite references.
  4. Ethnobotany. Discussion of human interactions with each plant. List by culture and cite references for ALL statements.
  5. Biogeography. Origin of each plant, history of movement and current distribution.

Option 2. Artifact Project

Produce an artifact based upon plant materials and prepare a presentation on how the artifact is made and for what it is used.

Option 3. Creative project

Proposed by the student and approved by the Lab Instructor, e.g. volunteer project with Ethnobiology Society or at Lyon Arboretum, a short film, a homemade food item, etc.
 
Option 4. Ethnobotanical experiment or study
Garden project, interview(s), etc.