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Curriculum Resources for the Alaskan Environment
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Subject Areas: science,
history, English
Timeline: two to four
months
Grade Levels:
7-12
Purpose: to learn Inupiaq,
common, and scientific names of local medicinal
plants; to use scientific method while increasing
knowledge of traditional health care
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Sharon Moore
Medicinal
Plants
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Activities
- Decide what types of information
to record (Inupiaq name, common name, description of
plant, how and when plant is collected, preparation, and
medicinal uses of plant).
- Interview village members about
medicinal plants.
- Sponsor field trips to collect
plants. Not all plants will be collected in the same
season. Collect enough plants to prepare according to
directions and to dry and press for
display.
- Prepare medicine following
directions students recorded during interviews. Students
should record observations of plant before and after
preparation. The plant can be described in several ways:
size, color of flowers, leaf shape, odor, habitat, taste,
and medicinal use. Changes in odor, texture, and color
during preparation of medicine should also be
noted.
- Use reference books (if available)
to identify scientific names of plants.
- Display the information and use as
a curriculum resource.
Resources
- community members
- botany text
- (1976). Timimum Manirrutit.
Kotaebue, AK: Mauneluk Cultural Heritage Program.
Contains interviews in Inupiaq and English with several
knowledgeable elders from the NANA region discussing
traditional uses of plants and animals for medicine. $1
from Mauneluk's Tribal Doctor Program
- Heller, Christine. (1976). Wild
Edible and Poisonous Plants of Alaska. Fairbanks, AK:
Cooperative Extension Service. Contains descriptions, but
limited to edible and poisonous plants. $1
- Heller, Christine. (1966). Wild
Flowers of Alaska. Anchorage, AK: Heller Enterprises.
Has color pictures but lacks descriptions of
plants
- Hulten, Eric. (1968). Flora of
Alaskan and Neighboring Territories. Stanford, CA:
Stanford University Press. Expensive, but is an excellent
resource for a school or district library.
$50
- Smith, G. Warren. (1973,
December). Arctic pharmacognosia. ARCTIC:
Journal of the Arctic Institute of
North America, 26(4)
- other books and references may be
available; remember that these are only a secondary
source of information to supplement information gained
from community members
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Variations
- Publish the information and make
it available to other schools, Native regional
corporations, museums, or tourist centers.
- Expand the project to include
plants used for food.
- Use photographs or drawings
instead of dried plants.
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