Resources

Spices
Teachers' Pack

Spices have been valued for thousands of years because of their flavour and aroma. In addition to their culinary uses, spices were the basis of many medicines and dyes developed by the native cultures of the lands where spices originally grew. When the news of these versatile plants spread to Europe, spices initially commanded fantastically high prices because they were so difficult to obtain.

The quest for spices led to the opening of new trade routes and to the finding of land new to western civilisation. Many technological advances were made as a result - navigational aids such as the compass and the astrolabe; bigger, faster ships; cannon with which to defend the precious cargoes. The struggle for control of the spice trade led to many wars and the rise and fall of empires.

Spices are still enjoyed today and are an important commercial crop for those countries which enjoy the right climatic conditions for their production.

These are just some of the themes developed in the Spice Pack. It contains a range of cross-curricular materials suitable for use wth pupils at Key Stage 2. Although this pack contains sections specific to history, geography, science and technology, teachers will find that the activities offer many opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. More detailed curriculum references are given in the teachers' notes which introduce each section.

The pack contains:

• an activity booklet;

• a location chart, showing the countries of origin for a number of common spices;

• a set of photo-cards, introducing 16 common spices: on the front of each card is a photograph of an unpackaged spice as it might be bought in a shop, on the reverse is information about the part of the plant from which each spice comes, the country of origin, and a possible use.

The pack covers the following topics and themes:

1. Spices and History
Puts spices in a historical context using examples of Sinbad the Sailor, the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and the Middle Ages. Activities include a spice-trading game, drawing plants and making a time-line.

2. Spices and Geography
Investigates where spices grow and the climate they need to survive. Activities include learning about latitude and longitude, locating on a map countries in which spices are grown, and plotting the routes of three famous explorers.

3. Spices and Science & Technology
In this section, spices are named, smelt and tasted. Recipes are given for cooking activities, as well as to make pot pourri and a clove orange.

The pack is available at the Victoria Gate Visitor Centre at Kew or by mail order from:

Mail Order Section
RBG Kew Enterprises Ltd
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8332 5170
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8332 5161

Cheques should be made payable to RBG Kew Enterprises Ltd.

Visa, Mastercard and Amex credit cards are accepted for telephone orders only.

The cost of the pack is £7.50 plus £2.50 postage and packing for orders within the UK.