Class Session Assignments.  For each class session in the schedule, each student is expected to view or listen to a set of video presentations and read assigned sections of the two texts. This is the greatest time commitment for the course. Typically, each student should expect to spend 2 to 4 hours prior to the session on each of the assignments. It is critical that the work be completed each period before attending the in-class session.  Please plan your time accordingly.

In-Class Sessions.  Each day in the schedule each student is expected to attend and participate in the interactive class session. The session will last about 50 minutes, and it is very important to arrive on-time since instructions will begin immediately. A variety of activities will take place in the sessions with most involving interaction with other students, with plants, and with the instructors.  It is very important that the session's video assignments and readings be finished  before attending the in-class session.

Writing Assignment.  One short, high quality writing assignment is expected from each student. The purpose of the writing assignment is to develop the process of learning about personal interactions with plants and to promote the passing along within families, of family knowledge of plants. Most students think that their family knows nothing, or very little about plants. However, this is never true. Even the most hardened city dwellers interact with plants in hundreds of ways each day, often without thinking about it.

The writing assignment will be based on a set of "interviews" conducted with members of the student's family. The definition of family may sometimes need to be stretched, but ideally, interviews are conducted with older members of your actual family. Friends and neighbors are OK, but not really meeting the point of this assignment, which is personal growth, and in- depth of knowledge about one's own family. A discussion will be held during one of the in-class sessions describing what an interview is and is not. "Talking story" is a perfectly good interview format. Asking a lot of really weird questions in rude ways is not a good interview format.

The goal of interviews is to learn something about family interactions with plants that was not already known by the student. (It is easy for some students to write a silly paper about something they already know about. These students will cheat themselves of an opportunity to learn.). Try to use the assignment as a way to learn something that can be passed along for the rest of your life. It is expected that copies of the written assignment will be distributed among family members as something to keep.

Examples of topics that can be studied include:

• wild gathering of plants for ornaments, foods, etc.
• use of herbal products or plant parts for medicine or cosmetics.
• growing home gardens.
• carving, weaving, or craft activities with plants.
• history and plants in traditional family meals.
• arrangement of property space and ornamental plants as comfortable environments.
• and many other topics (ask the instructors if you are having a hard time getting an idea).

Any questions can be asked as long as they are polite. Examples include:

• what are your favorite plants for ______?
• what are the most important plants in our family for ______?
• where do we get the plant materials to ______________?
• who taught you how to use plants to ___________?
• what are the names of the plants growing in ____________?
• and many other kinds of questions (ask the instructors if you are having a hard time thinking up questions for your interviews).

Interview information should be organized into a typed paper that is "about" five (5) double-spaced (10-12 point font) pages long.  It should include:

• a brief introduction of 1-2 paragraphs (family history or similar information works well here).
• a sentence that indicates the research question (e.g., "I wanted to learn about plants that my Uncle Kimo uses for fishing.").
• a description of the methods used for learning information. One to two  paragraphs is usually long enough, but some may need to be longer. Describe the questions used, how the interviews were arranged, where they took place, for how long, the dates of each interview, who was present, and the general feel of the interviews.
• a set of results or basically what was learned. This may be long or short depending on what is learned. If possible, try to determine the Latin names of plants [for plants found in Hawai'i, a useful reference for cultivated plants is,  A Tropical Garden Flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places, by George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst, Bishop Museum Press, 2005; and for native and naturalized plants,  Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, by Warren L. Wagner, Derral R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer, University of Hawai'i Press and Bishop Museum Press, 1990 (first edition) and 1999 (revised edition)].  It is essential to include the names of plants used by the family members interviewed [e.g., "Grandma Anderson used kalo (Colocasia esculenta) as the base for her potato salad, but Aunt Sue said that she now prefers to use potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) or sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas). We made both kinds of salad and I think I like Aunt Sue's recipe better, even though Grandma's is a more traditional style."].
• a clear discussion of the results must be included. This should be a reflection upon what was learned and how, or if you plan to use the knowledge and pass it along.
• a reference section that includes any books or articles referenced in your introduction, methods, or discussion, AND a list of the names and relationships to the interviewer of each person interviewed.
• a one paragraph biography of the student that includes name, age, high school, residence location(s), and other information about personality, interests, college major, etc.
• while face to face interviews are preferred, your family members may be off-island.  You may conduct the interview by telephone (most cell phone plans provide for long distance calls with no additional charge).

The written assignment is due no later than June 25, 2008.

Community Resource Exploration. A wide variety of community resources are available for learning more about ethnobotany and the roles of plants in our lives. Each students is expected to visit three community resources completing a worksheet about each. The sites have been selected because of the range of materials that they have available, and accessibility via public transportation. Students will need to keep in mind the following:

• Each location charges admission. Admission costs are the responsibility of the student. There are often "free" days, but these need to be identified well in advance, and do not always happen in every term.
• Students must arrange their own transportation to each location. Groups of students are encouraged to ride together to save money and to enable a shared learning experience.
• Worksheets for each exercise are available below. These should be printed out and used during the visit to the location. It is not a good idea to visit and then try to fill out the worksheet.
• The exercises are intended to help students connect information discussed in the classroom with that learned at home and found in community resources.
• Students should plan ahead. Lack of time during the week before the exercises are due is not an excuse for missing the assignment. Worksheets can and should be submitted early.

 

Community Resource 1:   Hawai'i Maritime Center  Worksheet

The Maritime Center is located in Honolulu Harbor at Pier 7 (a couple of blocks in the Waikiki direction from the Aloha Tower at the end of Fort Street).  The website (http://www.bishopmuseum.org/exhibits/hmc/hmc.html) has further information.

The cost of admission to the Maritime Center is not included in the cost of this course. When admitted to the center, an admission sticker or receipt with the date on it is provided. Keep this as it will need to be affixed to your worksheet.

 

Community Resource 2:  Foster Botanical Garden  Worksheet