Medicinal & Edible Plants of Montana Used by Indigenous Peoples and Early Settlers
This new Special Topics course is open to all university students in the spring 2017 semester. As a Special Topics course the numbering reflects upper division credit, but no pre-requisites are required, allowing students in a variety of disciplines to enroll. The course begins by providing a content vocabulary that consists of plant, habitat, ecoregion, and cultural terminology. Teaching with the assumption that non-biology students enroll, terms are presented and learned in a hands-on context that requires no previous understanding of biology. For example, basic plant structure is presented through simple flower dissection and “Structure Jeopardy”, a fun and interactive approach that allows students to earn points while testing literacy. Students work together in small groups (3) to collect voucher specimens of medicinal and edible plants in which the group is most interested. For native students, it is anticipated that selections may be based on traditional uses. During this process, students develop specimen collection and processing skills that allow them to acquire marketable techniques used in herbaria throughout the world. These same groups collect specific medicinal and edible plant material (e.g., roots) for their plants, drying and preparing the material in the manner most often used. For example, roots used as flour substitutes are presented whole as well as in a ground state. Groups, working closely with the professor, learn methods on how to research collection records, find habitat information, and develop geolocation skills, all of which ensure success in locating material. Students in each group also learn to perform peer-reviewed scientific literature searches that provide the most current research and knowledge on culturally important medicinal and edible plants. As individuals, students are required to gather information through discussion with family or community members on plant uses, thereby forming relationships between the broader community and course knowledge. Students are also encouraged, through literature or community involvement, to explore native or colloquial names for specific plants and to determine if these terms relate to cultural uses. Working with the professor, students learn presentation skills as each group or individual present the information they have learned using Power Point. Interactive laboratories exercises provide information and practices on good methodology and mock sessions with the instructor afford powerful feedback prior to classroom presentation. As available, local and indigenous guest lecturers provide interactive and personal experiences that aid to ensure student retention of course material.

As a component of the new Special Topics course on Edible and Medicinal Plants of Montana (S 2017), students are tasked with designing and landscaping a Medicinal Plants of Montana Native Plant Garden. This OER includes documents guiding instructors through the implementation of the project.

Each group is given the approximate dimensions of the garden and the professor presents options for them to consider, e.g., soil and bed preparation, pathways, fencing, and signage. Students are provided with a list of more than seventy plants to consider for placement in the garden. In groups, students research mature height and width of plants, special sun or soil requirements, and potential sources. In this manner, native plant research is spread among the groups and a final document containing all information is posted for group use in design. At the end of four weeks in which some laboratory time is provided for design, each group presents their ideas to the class. After selection of the best ideas from each group, the class is split into larger groups, each competitively presenting the ultimate design to be landscaped on the MSUN campus.

Aqui é apresentado um cordel construído por discentes da Escola Estadual Presidente Arthur da Costa e Silva, Gerência da Regional de Educação Recife Sul (GRE-Recife Sul), Pernambuco, Localizado no Bairro da Mustardinha, Zona Sul do Recife-PE. Este trabalho faz parte da dissertação de Mestrado de Vilmar da Silva Nascimento, que teve como título: "Revitalização de hortas escolares com plantas medicinais como cenário pedagógico". Sob a orientação do prof. Dr. Paulo Euzébio Cabral Filho e co-orientação de Valéria Sandra de Oliveira Costa do Programa de Mestrado Profissional em Rede Nacional para o Ensino das Ciências Ambientais (ProfCiAmb) pólo UFPE.