Teacher's Guide for ODYSSEY^TM Nature's Pharmacy

Format:
      Article / Page
      Summary
      Skills

"Carl Linneaus: The Roots of Ethnobotany," pg. 6

• Ethnobotanists discover new medicines by learning from indigenous healers. The 18^th-century Swedish ethnobotanist Carl Linnaeus was a "participant observer." He learned from the Sami people of Lapland.
• Classification, Methodology

"The Healer's Pouch" (Brain Strain), " pg. 9

• Test observation skills with a repeating-pattern puzzle
• Following Directions, Pattern Recognition

"The Plant Medicine Hall of Fame," pg. 10

• Willow, foxglove, poppy, and periwinkle are but a few of the plant sources of modern miracle drugs. One scientist is testing plants from South America, Pakistan, and China in search of new medicines to fight AIDS. A sidebar traces the long journey of a drug from laboratory to market.
• Applications, Methodology

"Rain Forest Gold" (People to Discover), pg. 14

• ODYSSEY^TM interviews ethnobotanist Ghillean Prance. For more than 30 years, he explored the rain forest of Brazil - living with 16 tribes, studying plants, and looking for medicines. Prance worries about the loss of rain forests and plant species.
• Vocabulary, Ethics

"The Countess's Bark," pg. 16

• This short, fictional drama traces the history of the malaria drug, quinine.
• Historical Context, Application

"Friend of the Forest: Pe'a Vao," pg. 20

• In Samoa, bats called flying foxes are the primary pollinators and seed distributors for the large rain forest trees. Hunting threatens the survival of these diurnal mammals.
• Vocabulary, Ecological Connections

"A Taxol Tale," pg. 22

• This article tells how a "trash tree" of the Pacific Northwest became the powerful, cancer-fighting drug, Taxol. The tale involves timber companies, environmentalists, the medical community, drug companies, and the federal government. The story's happy ending teaches a lesson in biodiversity. A sidebar tells more about the world's ancient yews.
• Applications, Science and Society

"'Doctoring' the Truth: 'Snake Oil' and Other Cure-Alls," pg. 26

• Fake cures can be traced as far back as ancient Rome. Through the centuries, alchemists and "quacks" touted miracle medicines from "natural" sources. In 1905, a crusading reporter exposed the unhealthy ingredients of many cure-alls. His work prompted the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906, from which grew the Food and Drug Administration. A sidebar explains the work of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
• Vocabulary, Critical Thinking

"The Gifts of the Taulasea," pg. 29

• Time is running out for the Samoan culture, as modern ways erode indigenous knowledge and supplant traditional practices. Botanical gardens and universities have become centers for preservation of the rich Samoan heritage.
• Historical Values, Cultural Diversity

"How an Ethnobotanist Works," pg. 32

• An ethnobotanist describes her experiences in the South Pacific, Peru, and North America.
• Methods of Inquiry, Careers

"What's Up? (Planet Watch and Backyard Observations)," pg. 34

• The February night sky displays some of the brightest constellations of the year. Look for Monoceros (the Unicorn) and the evening planets Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Mars is the morning planet this month.
• Observation, Following Directions

"Help! Rain Forests at Risk!" pg. 40

• Read about three ways to protect the rain forest's environmental resources. Express your desire to save the rain forest in a poem to send to ODYSSEY^TM.
• Advocacy, Creative Writing

1. Ask students what they know about "natural medicine." Through discussion, develop a definition for the phrase. Ask students what they would like to know about the topic. Compile a list of questions for later inquiry and research.
2. Much of this issue touches on the rate of species extinction, especially in the world's rain forests. Discuss why local people cut or burn the rain forest. What might individuals, organizations, and governments do to halt the destruction?

Pg. 10 - "The Plant Medicine Hall of Fame"

• Talk It Over:
  1. Ask students to brainstorm a list of plants used as medicines. (For example, prunes relieve constipation and aloe soothes burns.) Compile a list on the chalkboard and add to it as students read articles in this issue.
  2. Ask students to list their top 10 candidates for the "Medicine Hall of Fame." Ask them to find out whether their honorees can trace their roots to the plant kingdom.
• Connections:
  1. Career Exploration: Ethnobotany is but one of the many specialties practiced by botanists and anthropologists. In the library and on the Internet, find other specialty fields. Make a poster or bulletin board showing the wide range of career opportunities available to people trained in these disciplines.
  2. Creative Writing: Pretend that you are an ethnobotanist working in the rain forests of the Amazon. Either write a letter home or write a page in your journal describing one day on the hunt for undiscovered flora. Try to include details to make your description as realistic as possible.
  3. Mathematics: (Use the numbers at the top of pg. 12.) If teams of scientists could complete the chemical investigation of one flowering plant species each day (That's a prodigious rate of investigation!), how long would it take to characterize all known species? (Answer: approximately 726 years!) If earth lost one plant species per day to extinction, what number could be lost before ever being investigated - assuming analysis continued at the rate of one per day? (Answer: Half of them, or 132,500.)
• Student Assessment:
  1. Scientists try to develop ways to manufacture in laboratories the medicines originally made in plants. List and explain several reasons why laboratory production is preferred over harvesting from the field.
  2. Reread the sidebar, " 'Prospecting' for Drugs," on page 12. In your opinion, should we continue to "mine the earth" for drugs? Using Dr. Robinson's response and what you learned from the article, present a convincing argument to support your view.

pg. 26 - " 'Doctoring' the Truth: 'Snake Oil' and Other Cure-Alls"

• Talk It Over:
  1. What "home remedies" promise to cure a disease or ease a symptom, but lack supporting evidence from scientific research and testing? Brainstorm a list for investigation and a possible future project. (See "Far Out!") (Hint: For ideas, encourage students to take a look at the "herbal supplements" sections in drugstores, supermarkets, and discount stores.)
  2. Who recommends, advises, and dispenses medicine? Draw a chart interrelating the roles of family members, advertisers, drug companies, community leaders, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and more. Are some of these sources more reliable than others? Why or why not?
• Connections:
  1. Language Arts: Select some of the terms and phrases used in the article to describe fake medicines or practitioners (for example, "snake oil" and "quack"). Compile a dictionary or thesaurus of words that doctor the truth more than the body.
  2. Mathematics: How safe is "safe"? Pretend you have developed a new medicine. Like all drugs, its side effects pose risks to a small percent of those who take it. How small should that percent be if your drug is to pass a safety test? What if 100,000 people took your medicine? How many would experience side effects, given your "safe" percent? Would you establish a different percent to justify safety if 100 million people took your drug?
  3. Sociology / History: Find out more about the traditional medicines used by Native American tribes. What treatments has modern medicine developed from the knowledge of these peoples?
• Student Assessment:
  1. When we read the fantastic claims of "snake oil" medicines, we wonder why anyone would have believed in them. At one time, however, people bought and used them eagerly. Choose one of the "patent medicines" mentioned in the article and explain several reasons why the remedy could have been purchased and judged effective by so many. Does the same thing happen today?
  2. You are a representative of the FDA, trying to keep Congress from cutting your budget. Explain to a congressional committee what steps you take to ensure that drugs are both safe and effective. Use an example to explain why the process takes many years and many dollars.

"I think that I shall never see"

Paired Research Project: Break the class into pairs and refer to the list of home remedies already developed. (See "Talk It Over" for " 'Doctoring' the Truth," above.) Ask each pair to research the facts and fallacies associated with one "treatment" of their choice. One student might conduct research in the library or on the Internet, while the other contacts physicians or medical centers for first-hand information. Ask each pair to organize their research into a booklet for the class, school library, or community center.

"A drugstore lovely as a tree."

Community Connection: Invite a pharmacist to visit the class to talk about the education required for a career in pharmacy. Open the class to questions. As an alternative, invite a veterinarian to discuss the use of plant-derived drugs on animals.

"Yes, willow bark is aspirin, true"

Large-Group, Collaborative Activity: Break the class into two or three groups. Assign each group a well-known, plant-derived drug. (For some candidates, see the table on page 12 of the issue.) Have each group research the history of one compound. Follow the example of "The Countess's Bark" to create a historically accurate play in two or three acts. Present the dramas to parents, a teacher's group, or another class.

"But to fight disease is up to yew."

Class Project: Today, preventing diseases is as important as treating them. Find out about drugs prescribed to reduce health risks - for example, aspirin and cholesterol-reducing drugs to prevent heart attacks. Research lifestyle options that promote health, such as regular exercise and healthy food choices. Host a "Prevention Fair," inviting students and visitors to learn more about ways to maintain good health.

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Updated: 11/21/09 09:31 am
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