This week we will investigate the importance of plants in our everyday lives – in ways other than just for oxygen.

Photosynthesis is arguably one of the most important processes on Earth – essentially all life depends on it. Humans and other animals depend on plants to capture the energy of the sun and use that energy to manufacture carbohydrates – subsequently releasing the oxygen that we breathe. But plants are vital to our lives in other ways as well. Think about the pencil you write with (or used to), the toothpick you used last night, the cotton T-shirt you wore today, or the maple syrup you had on your pancakes this morning. These all came from plants! Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people – plants used for practical, ceremonial, spiritual, medicinal, decorative, edible, etc. purposes.

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Instructions: This week we will investigate the importance of plants in our everyday lives – in ways other than just for oxygen.

Photosynthesis is arguably one of the most important processes on Earth – essentially all life depends on it. Humans and other animals depend on plants to capture the energy of the sun and use that energy to manufacture carbohydrates – subsequently releasing the oxygen that we breathe. But plants are vital to our lives in other ways as well. Think about the pencil you write with (or used to), the toothpick you used last night, the cotton T-shirt you wore today, or the maple syrup you had on your pancakes this morning. These all came from plants! Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people – plants used for practical, ceremonial, spiritual, medicinal, decorative, edible, etc. purposes.

For this week’s initial post: 

W6: Plants and People

Contains unread posts

Instructions: This week we will investigate the importance of plants in our everyday lives – in ways other than just for oxygen.

Photosynthesis is arguably one of the most important processes on Earth – essentially all life depends on it. Humans and other animals depend on plants to capture the energy of the sun and use that energy to manufacture carbohydrates – subsequently releasing the oxygen that we breathe. But plants are vital to our lives in other ways as well. Think about the pencil you write with (or used to), the toothpick you used last night, the cotton T-shirt you wore today, or the maple syrup you had on your pancakes this morning. These all came from plants! Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people – plants used for practical, ceremonial, spiritual, medicinal, decorative, edible, etc. purposes.

For this week’s initial post: 

• You are to find a plant product that we use every day and do not pick one that your classmates have already chosen.
• Make sure to include the product name in the title of your discussion post so that others can quickly see what you have chosen.
• Do some research and address the following:
  • From what plant does your product come? Include the common and scientific name (properly formatted).
  • What is the product? What does it do? How do we extract it from the plant? Describe in detail.
  • What is the primary use: medicinal, ceremonial, etc.?
  • Are there commercial fields for the plant? Where?
  • Are there any substitutes for your product? If there is no information, feel free to take an educated guess, and support it.
  • What is the most fascinating thing you learned about your product?

For responses to classmates:

• When substantively replying to your classmates’ initial posts, explain whether you agree or disagree with their assessment and why, ask a follow-up question, mention new information which they or other classmates have not yet mentioned.  These will count toward your ‘Reply Posts‘ grade points.
• Monitor your initial post thread, and respond to follow-up questions and comments made by your classmates and instructor during the scheduled week. These will count toward your ‘Creates Conversation‘ grade points.

Additional Resources:

Missouri Botanical Garden: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plant-conservation/plant-conservation/conservation-in-action/plants-and-people.aspx

New York Botanical Garden: https://www.nybg.org/plant-research-and-conservation/explore/plants-and-people/

TED^X Video: https://youtu.be/st4K_RYw16E

Evaluation: Follow the Weekly Discussion Grading Criteria guidelines and instructions for posting and replying to peers.  Note: Keep your reply posts focused on biology. They should be substantive and demonstrate understanding to be eligible for maximum credit.