BIOL 123 - Plants, People, and Culture

5 Credits

An introduction to ethnobotany. Ethnobotany deals with the uses of plants by indigenous cultures. Historically, these uses by native cultures have been largely ignored or downplayed as unimportant or uninteresting. Ethnobotany as a discipline disabuses these notions and affords respect for both the uses of plants and the cultures that employ the particular practices.In this course we will consider the uses of plants for various purposes by at least a dozen different indigenous cultures including the uses of plants by PNW natives.

Pre-requisite(s) MATH 081 or higher min 2.0
Placement Eligibility Math 091 or higher
Fees

Quarters Typically Offered
Summer Online

Winter Online
Spring Online

Designed to Serve Non-science majors and others interested; students of naturopathic medicine and herbal sciences.
Active Date 2015-11-09

Grading Basis Decimal Grade
Class Limit 30
Contact Hours: Lecture 55 Lab 0 Field Studies 0 Clinical 0 Independent Studies 0
Total Contact Hours 55
Degree Distributions:
AA

Diversity & Globalism
Science

Course Outline
- Basic plant biology

- Human nutrition derived from plants

- History of agriculture

- The uses of various plants for food

- Material uses of plants: clothes, shelter, etc.

- The uses of fungi for medicine, food, and native rituals

- Psychoactive plans and their uses in religious ceremonies

- Resource ownership issues relating to the uses of plants for the development of new drugs

- Conservation of native resources

- Native knowledge of plants and their uses

- Ethnobotany of PNW indigenous peoples

Student Learning Outcomes
To achieve an understanding of basic botany.

To achieve an understanding of the role of plants in shaping culture both in the present day and historically.

To achieve an appreciation for the role plants play in the student’s daily life.

To achieve an appreciation for the various uses of plants: nutritional, material, medicinal, recreational, and religious.

To become familiar with the use of specific plants by PNW indigenous peoples.

To become familiar with the issues surrounding natural resources ownership and related conflicts

To achieve an appreciation for native peoples knowledge of plants and their uses