COURSE SYLLABUS SEEDS OF CHANGE: THE BIOLOGY AND CULTURE OF PLANT-PEOPLE INTERACTIONS "History celebrates the battlefields whereon we meet our death, but scorns to speak of the plowed fields whereby we thrive; it knows the names of the King's bastards, but cannot tell us the origin of wheat. That is the way of human folly" Jean Henri Fabre Instructor: Dr. Hector E. Flores, PhD (Yale 1983); [email protected]; 585-260-4962 Rationale Human civilization and life on earth are impossible to conceive without plants. Through photosynthesis and oxygen production, plants are the major producers of biomass and constitute the base of the food pyramid. Plants also have evolved an astounding diversity in form, size, shape, color, smell and chemical structures. This structural, nutritional and chemical flexibility has been put to innumerable uses by people, from the hunter gatherers to the scientists in search of a cure for AIDS. Plants are at the core of our everyday necessities (food, clothing, shelter, medicines, beverages), simple pleasures (flowers, fragrances) and pervasive problems (energy supply, drug addiction, famine). Plants have affected civilization in dramatic ways in the past, for example in the spectacular changes in diet and the increased population growth catalyzed by the Columbian Exchange. We expect that plants will continue to affect people in the future through an increasingly complex interplay between new technologies such as genetic engineering, the pressure on natural resources, and the search for new crops, medicines and biomaterials. The aforementioned examples justify including a course on the uses of plants in a graduate/undergraduate curriculum that stresses interdisciplinarity, diversity, and multiculturalism. Seeds of Change is a 3 credit course offered at the 4000/5000 level, and is designed to provide an in-depth integrated overview of the biology, chemistry and culture of plants, as well as a long term perspective on their present and future uses. Prerequisite This is a reading-intensive and discussion-oriented course which assumes basic knowledge of biology/botany and/or chemistry. Students with little background in any of these areas are strongly encouraged to consult introductory textbooks in order to become familiar with the basic concepts and vocabulary. The following books are recommended: Buchanan, B.B., W. Gruissem, and R.L. Jones. 2000. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants. American Society of Plant Physiologists, Rockville, Maryland. Capon, B. 1990. Botany for Gardeners: An Introduction and Guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Stern, K.R. 1988. Introductory Plant Biology. 4th Ed., Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA. Snyder, C.H. 1995. The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things. 2nd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York. Zomlefer, W.B. 1994. Guide to Flowering Plant Families. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. Course Structure This course is intended to go beyond the lecture only format. Conventional lectures will be complemented with discussions, use of fresh plant material, demonstrations, group projects, and "field" assignments. After a basic treatment of the botanical concepts necessary to follow the subject, we will discuss the major modes of plant use, from food and medicine gathering to the origins of agriculture, and how the latter evolved. Second, we will study the Columbian Exchange as an example of how plants have shaped our diets, clothing and addictions in the last five hundred years. Third, we will use potatoes, sugar cane and cotton as case studies of how the unique biological features of these crops have affected their large scale worldwide cultivation, and the social and economic effects of such practices. The rest of the course will be organized along the same lines, maintaining the emphasis on interdisciplinary discussions. It is hoped that this approach will allow the student to start perceiving useful plants as what they effectively are, Seeds of Change, affecting diets, agricultural patterns, health and leisure, but in turn also being influenced by population pressures, other crops, and the new biotechnologies. Class Participation The success of this course depends on student participation in the lectures and class discussions. The variety of majors hopefully represented in the class provides a unique opportunity for students to offer valuable, diverse, and complementary input during the class discussions. Therefore, the students are strongly encouraged to ask questions, participate in discussions, and help each other in the various activities. A list-serve site will be set up to encourage and facilitate additional discussion outside the classroom. This site can be used to send messages to the class members, and ask questions, share insights, debate problems, and plan individual/group activities or assignments (see below). Journal Paper Report Because of the range of subjects covered in the class, it is difficult to conduct an in-depth critical analysis of every single topic. In order to provide hands-on experience with the analysis of data and the process leading to conclusions that eventually find their way into textbooks and reviews, each student will be required to do a critical review of refereed journal articles throughout the class. Examples of journals with appropriate articles are American Journal of Botany, Economic Botany, Journal of Ethnobiology, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Plant Journal, Plant Cell, etc. In addition to providing a detailed criticism of the assumptions underlying the paper’s rationale, results and discussion, the student will have to provide a complementary perspective for future, integrative work. Class Project One of the goals of courses such as this one is to encourage creativity and originality from the students. To this end, at the end of the semester, each student will have to deliver, as an individual of as part of a group (the latter is strongly encouraged), a class presentation on any subject related to the interactions between plants and people. Conventional presentations are strongly discouraged. Students are encouraged to use the full range of skills they have (individually and collectively, i.e., art, music, writing, handcrafts, computer skills, etc.), to address the topic of their choice. For example, a presentation on the evolution of bread could based on baking and tasting a variety of homemade products, the biology and culture of tomato could be presented as a play, a poem or series thereof, etc., etc. Examples of innovative angles to these class projects may be the relationship between myths, plants and women, the use of plants as medicine by animals, cultural parallelism in the uses of plants, biochemical changes during cooking/food processing, etc. The project must be based on solid research and facts, the creative synthesis and integration of which will be reflected in the project’s originality. The most important thing to consider for this type of project is planning and brainstorming in advance. The instructor will work with the students to provide advice as to project choice and approach, but this is first and foremost a student-driven activity. The presentations will be scheduled for the end of the course, and some of them, as appropriate, may be included in the last activity of the semester, the Seeds of Change Potluck (see below). Class Assignments and Special Activities Class Assignments Throughout the course students will be asked to visit the local supermarkets, health food and ethnic food stores, and local pharmacies, in order to do “homework” related to an upcoming class topic. For example, for the lecture/discussion on fruit crops the students may have to make an inventory of the fruits available at that particular time of the year, and to determine their "geography" (where do the fruits come from?) and how that relates to their place of origin. For the discussion on medicinal plants, the students may have to go to pharmacies, supermarkets, health food stores, etc., and research the variety of health-related formulations which include plant-derived products. Short reports may be required for some of these exercises. Field Trip We will have at least one field trip in early Spring to observe useful wild plants at a suitable place nearby. Attendance to the field trip is required of all students. Demonstrations The lectures and discussions will be complemented by simple exercises and demonstrations. For example, the lecture on beverages may be followed by a tasting of teas and herbal infusions. The lecture on perfumes may be followed by simple extractions of essential oils from various sources (rose petals, geraniums, various herbs, etc.). The discussions on spices and fruits will involve tastings and dissections of the material brought by students and instructors. Various dishes will be tasted throughout the class, starting with the salad “deconstruction” exercise. Seeds of Change Potluck A potluck dinner will be scheduled for the end of the semester at the instructor's home. The different courses will be jointly planned by the instructor and students and will be designed to reflect the widest possible diversity of plant foods available in the area. Students are strongly encouraged to plan and prepare their dishes by dividing into small groups. This activity is intended to be fun and promote collegiality, in addition to providing yet another venue to learn more about plants/people interactions. Exams and Grading There will be two examinations throughout the semester. The first exam will be scheduled before Spring break and will cover one third of the course material. The second exam will emphasize material covered in the second third, and will be scheduled for the first half of April. The examinations will be a combination of short answer and essay questions; the latter will emphasize critical thinking and integration of the facts and concepts discussed in class. Take-home exams are also an option. There will be no final exam, in lieu of which students are required to develop an original project (see above). The final grade will be assigned on the following basis: First Exam 35% Second Exam 35% Class project 20% Class participation, written assignment 10% Textbook and Assigned Reading As mentioned above, this will be a reading-intensive course. The textbook chosen for this course is Economic Botany, Plants in Our World , 3rd Edition (2001), by Beryl Brintnall Simpson and Mary Conner-Ogorzaly (McGraw-Hill, New York) and is available at the Penn State Bookstore. The assigned readings from the textbook (see class schedule) will provide introductory botanical concepts and descriptions of useful plants according to well established categories (fruits, grains, spices, vegetable oils, medicines, etc.). Because the course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary perspective of useful plants, the textbook assignments will be complemented with readings from a variety of sources. The strategy for handling the assigned reading will be discussed during the first meeting. I also highly recommend Plants, People, and Culture, by Michael Balick and Paul Cox, as a “textbook” to complement Simpson’s. It is full of fascinating stories and perhaps does a better job of integrating biology, chemistry and culture. Reading List Some material for this class is available at the Library. Much of the material listed below is in my personal collection, which will be made available to students on an honors basis. Specific reading assignments from some of these books and from journal articles are listed in the course schedule. Sets of the assigned readings will be available for copying. This reading list can be also used as a reference source in the preparation of term papers and for class assignments. Allen, B. 1995. Food, an Oxford Anthology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 417 pp. (TX353.F557 1995) Anderson, E. 1971. Plants, Man and Life. University of California Press, Berkeley, 251 pp. (SB107.5.A5 1967) Andrews, J. 1999. The Pepper Trail: History and Recipes from Around the World. University of North Texas Press, Denton, TX, 260 pp. (TX803.P46A52) Balick, M.J., and P.A. Cox. 1996. Plants, People, and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany. Scientific American Library, HPHLP, New York, 228 pp. (GN476.73.B35 1996) Bernhardt, P. 1993. Natural Affairs. A Botanist Looks at the Attachments Between Plants and People. Villard Books, New York. (QK81.B446 1993) Campbell, J. 1988. Historical Atlas of World Mythology. Vol. II: The Way of the Seeded Earth, Part 2, Mythologies of the Primitive Planters: The Northern Americas. Harper & Row, New York. (BL311.C26). Coe, S.D. 1994. America's First Cuisines. (F1219.76.F67C64 1994) University of Texas Press, Austin, 276 pp. Crosby, A.W. 1972. The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. (E98.D6C7) Crosby, A.W. 1993. Germs, Seeds & Animals, Studies in Ecological History. M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, (NY). (GF50.C77 1993) Dalby, A. 2000. Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices. British Museum Press, London, 184 pp. (TX406.D35) Diamond, J. 1997. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 480 pp. (HM206.D48 1997) Foster, H., and L.S. Cordell. 1992. Chilies to Chocolate. University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. (SB176.A48C45). Fusell, B. 1992. The Story of Corn. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. (SB191.M2F87). Hedrick, U.P. 1919. Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants. New York State Dept. of Agriculture, 27th Ann. Rep., 1918/19 v.2, pt.2. (634.09St9) Harlan, J.C. 1992. Crops and Man. 2nd Ed., American Society of Agronomy, Madison (WI), 284 pp. (SB71.H3 1992) Harris, M. 1977. Cannibals and Kings: The Origins of Cultures. Random House, NY, 239 pp. (GN358.5.H37) Heiser, C.B., Jr. 1969. Nightshades, the Paradoxical Plants. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman (OK). (QK495.S7.H45) Heiser, C.B., Jr. 1979. The Gourd Book. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman (OK), 248 pp. (SB317.G68.H44) Heiser, C.B., Jr. 1985. Of Plants and People. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, (OK), 237 pp. (SB87.A45H45 1985). Heiser, C.B., Jr. 1990. Seed to Civilization, the Story of Food. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA., 228 pp. (S419.H44) Hickey, M. 1988. 100 Families of Flowering Plants. 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, New York, 619 pp. (QK495.A1H53) Hill, A. F. 1937. Economic Botany. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, London, 592 pp. (S81.6H55e) Hobhouse, H. 1986. Seeds of Change, Five Plants That Transformed Mankind. Harper and Row, New York, 252 pp. (SB71.H63) Joyce, C. 1994. Earthly Goods: Medicine Hunting in the Rainforest. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 304 pp. (RS164.J69) Kahn, E.J., Jr. 1985. The Staffs of Life. Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 310 pp. (SB175.K34) Kreig, M. 1964. Green Medicine. The Search for Plants That Heal. Randy McNally & Co., Chicago, 462 pp. (QK99.K68) Lewington, A. (SB107.L48) 1990. Plants for People. Oxford University Press, New York, 232 pp. Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The Plant-Book, a Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. (QK11.M29) Mann, J. 1992. Murder, Magic and Medicine. Oxford University Press, New York., 232 pp. (RM300.M1845 1992) McGee, H. 1984. On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 684 pp. (TX651.M37) National Research Council. 1989. Lost Crops of the Incas. Washington D.C., 415 pp. (SB176.A5L6) National Academy Press, Nobel, P.S. 1994. Remarkable Agaves and Cacti. Oxford University Press, New York, 166 pp. (QK495.A26N64 1994) Plotkin, M.J. 1993. Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest. Viking, New York, 318 pp. (F2330.1.B7P56 1993) Pollan, M. 2001. The Botany of Desire: a plant’s eye view of the world. Random House, New York, 271 pp. (QK46.5.H85P66) Purseglove, J.W. 1968. Tropical Crops: Dicotyledons. Wiley, New York., 719 pp. (SB111.P86 v1, v2) Schery, R. 1972. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ., 657 pp. (SB107.S3) Schivelbusch, W. 1992. Tastes of Paradise, a Social History of Spices, Stimulants, and Intoxicants. Vintage Books, New York, 236 pp. (GT2880.S3613) Smith, B.D. 1995. The Emergence of Agriculture. Scientific American Library, W.H. Freeman, New York, 231 pp. (GN799.A4S52 1994) Smith, N.J.H., J.T. Williams, D.L., Plunknett, and J.P. Talbot. 1992. Tropical Forests and Their Crops. Cornell University Press, Ithaca (NY), 568 pp. (SB111.T76) Sokolov, R. 1991. Why We Eat What We Eat. Summit Books, New York, 254 pp. (TX631.S65) Tannahill, R. 1989. Food in History. Revised Ed., Crown Publishers, New York, 424 pp. (GT2850.T34) Toussaint-Samat, M. 1992. The History of Food. Blackwell Reference, Cambridge, MA. , 801 pp. (TX353.T6413) Viola, H.J., and C. Margulis. 1991. Seeds of Change, A Quincentennial Commemoration. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. , 277 pp. (E112.S45) Reference Sources Davidson, A. 1999. Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford Univ. Press, 892 pp. (TX349.D38) Kiple, K.F. 2000. The Cambridge World History of Food., Cambridge, England, 2153 pp. (TX353.C255 Vol 1 and 2) Tootill, E. 1984. The Facts on File Dictionary of Botany. Facts on File, Inc. New York. (QK9.F33) Web links: http://www.inia.gob.pe/genetica/insitu/publicaciones.htm Spring Break Class Trip The International Office is sponsoring a study abroad Spring Break class trip in the highlands of Peru, looking at agricultural systems, native tropical and Andean foods, visiting research institutes and interacting with Peruvians biology and agriculture majors. Students taking this class are welcome to join in this activity. Information can be obtained at the International Office web page. SEEDS OF CHANGE: THE USES OF PLANTS COURSE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNED READING WEEK 1 Features of Higher Plants; Overview of Economically Important Plant Families Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, pp. 1-21, 155-166. Bernhardt, Natural Affairs, pp. 25-38. Stern, Introductory Plant Biology. pp. 444-469. WEEK 2 From Gathering to Harvesting: the Origins of Agriculture and Medicinal Plants Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, pp. 21-39, 40-52. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel, pp. 114-130. Smith, The Emergence of Agriculture, pp. 2-47. WEEK 3 Plants and Civilization: The Columbian Exchange and other Upheavals Campbell, Historical Atlas of Mythology, Vol. II Part 2, pp. 116-127. Crosby, Germs, Seeds & Animals, pp. 45-61, 180-190. Crosby, The Columbian Exchange, 165-207 WEEK 4 Plants and Socio-Economic Change: Pommes de Terre Hobhouse, Seeds of Change, pp. 191-232. Salaman, R.N. 1952. The Social Influence of the Potato. Scientific American 187(6): 50-56. Plants and Socio-Economic Change: From White Gold to King Cotton Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, pp. 187-191, 360-365). Hobhouse, Seeds of Change, pp. 43-89, 141-187. Viola and Margolis, Seeds of Change, pp. 112-129. WEEK 5 Plants as Food: The Staffs of Life Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 5 (pp. 107-135). Heiser, Seed to Civilization, pp. 61-109. Kahn, The Staffs of Life, pp. 1-82, 141-202. WEEK 6 Plants as Food: Poor Man's Meat Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 6 (pp. 136-154). Dovring, F. 1974. Soybeans. Scientific American 230(2): 14-21. Heiser, Seed to Civilization, pp. 117-133. Toussaint-Samat, History of Food, pp. 39-56. Plants as Food: Root and Tuber Crops Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 7 (pp. 180-191). Heiser, Seed to Civilization, pp. 139-151. National Research Council, Lost Crops of the Incas, pp. 22-91 (browse). WEEK 7 Plants as Food: Veggie Time Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapters 7 and 4 (pp. 167-179, 82-90). Heiser, Nightshades, pp. 1-27, 53-61. Rick, C. M. 1978. The tomato. Scientific American 239(2): 77-87. Seabrook, J. 1993. Tremors in the hothouse. The New Yorker, July 19, pp. 32-41. Toussaint-Samat, History of Food, pp. 688-709. WEEK 8 Plants as Food: From Peaches to Kiwi Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapters 3 and 4 (pp. 53-74, 75-80, 88-106) Toussaint-Samat, History of Food, pp. 621-681. REVIEW SESSION (To be Scheduled) FIRST EXAM (To be Scheduled) SPRING BREAK WEEK 9 ) Interfacing Food and Non-Food Uses: The Vegetable "Fats" Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 9 (pp. 218-242, plus review chapters on nuts, oily fruits, and legumes) Beard, B.H. 1981. The sunflower crop. Scientific American May '81, pp. 150-161. Plants and the Senses: Coffee, Tea and Chocolate Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 13 (pp. 313-331). Hobhouse, Seeds of Change, pp. 95-137. Toussaint-Samat, History of Food, pp.574-606. Schivelbusch, W., Tastes of Paradise, pp. 15-22, 34-49, 79-84, 85-95). WEEK 10 Plants and the Senses: Coffee, Tea and Chocolate (Cntd.) Plants and the Senses: Natural Ferments Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 14 (pp.332-354). Nobel, Remarkable Agaves and Cacti, pp.32-38. Toussaint-Samat, History of Food, pp.177-187, 247-261. Schivelbusch, W., Tastes of Paradise, pp. 147-166. WEEK 11 Plants and the Senses: Natural Ferments (Cntd.) Plants and the Senses: Spices and Perfumes Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 8 (pp. 192-217). Bernhardt, Natural Affairs, pp. 39-53. WEEK 12 Plants for Healing: Of Shamans, Wonder Drugs and Multinationals Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapters 11 and 12 (pp.262-312). Mann, Murder, Magic and Medicine, pp.149-160, 173-186). Balick and Cox, Plants, People and Culture, pp. 25-61. WEEK 13 Plants for Shelter: Wood, Bark, and Bamboo Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 16 (pp. 378-398). Marden, L. 1980. Bamboo, the giant grass. National Geographic 158(4): 502-529. Plants for Clothing: Fibers, Dyes and Tannins Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 15 (pp. 355-377). Lewington, Plants for People, pp. 35-65. Nobel, Remarkable Agaves and Cacti, pp.38-41. WEEK 14 Plants and Industry: Gels, Latexes and Resins Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 10 (pp. 243-261). Schultes, R.E. 1977. The odyssey of the cultivated rubber tree. Endeavour 1: 133-138. Algae: The Forgotten "Seeds of Change” Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 18 (pp. 431-457). WEEK 15 The Future of Useful Plants: Anything goes? Simpson and Conner-Ogorzaly, Economic Botany, Chapter 19 (pp. 458-478). Balick and Cox, Plants, People and Culture, pp. 99-143. REVIEW SESSION (To be scheduled) CLASS PROJECT PRESENTATIONS and SEEDS OF CHANGE POTLUCK DINNER (To be scheduled) SECOND AND FINAL EXAM (To be scheduled)
