Ethnobotany

Introduction

Students in online learning environments are often removed from a sense of place. In online classrooms students from across geographical locations connect through various technological infrastructures to transcend space and sign onto class each day, effectively moving their experience from their community and place to the shared classroom of cyberspace. We recognized that there is a gap between online learning and place-based education that goes beyond creating digital or virtual ‘places.’ The design project and user guide that we have created are to help fill that gap by getting students to use technology in ways that physically engages them with their local environment. Ethnobotany, the selected theme for this unit, studies human and plant relationships, incorporates traditional knowledge to the science classroom, and gives students a focused lens through which to engage with their environment.

How to Navigate the Site

The site begins with the curriculum guide and is followed by the module. In the module, there are six lessons and a final project with handouts and assessments. You can navigate to each section using the menu bar at the top of the page or the next and back buttons on the bottom of each page.