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10th Grade World History & Civics

LESSON PLAN – “The Spices of Life”

(using Asia Inspirer software)

Subject: World History: The Age of Exploration 1300-1600

Grade Level: 9-10

Length of Lesson: 2 class periods

OVERVIEW: This lesson encourages students to learn about the spices used in every-day life, past and present, in order to understand how the spice trade led to the European “Age of Discovery” and subsequent European domination of trade and conquest and colonization of Asian territory.

NOTE: The teacher should become familiar with the operation of the Asia Inspirer software before implementing this lesson plan. A customized category must first be created that specifies the six Asian countries that produced the spices listed in the handout, “Economics in Daily Life – The Spices of Life.” Instructions for Custom Categories are found on pages 28-32 of the Asia Inspirer user’s guide. Name the custom category “spices.”

CONTENT STANDARD (State of Connecticut):

1.9-10.1: “Gather, analyze, and reconcile historical information …”

2.9-10.2: “Locate the events, peoples, and places they have studied in time and place”

3.9-10.4: “Explain how the use and expansion of trade have connected and affected the history of a global economy.”

13.9-10.1: “Compare the resources used by various cultures, countries and/or regions …”

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

The students will be able to:

Determine the countries of origin for spices used by Europeans in the 1300-1600s.
Locate those countries on a map.
Research the history and use of those spices.

RESOURCES:

• Samples of spices listed in handout

• Asia Inspirer software and user’s guide (10 copies for group work, or 1 copy if modified for whole class instruction)

• Custom Categories map handouts

• Travel Log handouts

• McCormick Spice Encyclopedia: http://www.mccormick.com

• Exit tickets

• Student Guide

DAY ONE:

INTRODUCTION:

Ask students to name some common spices and keep a list on the board. Then ask students if they can name meals that use those spices. Explain that many of those spices originate in Asian countries. Have samples of spices for students to taste. CHECK TO SEE IF STUDENTS HAVE ANY FOOD ALLERGIES BEFORE GIVING SPICES TO STUDENTS TO SAMPLE.

INSTRUCTIONAL INPUT:

1. Explain the role of spices in history—to preserve food, add flavor, and make medicines and perfumes--beginning in the 1300s and 1400s, when the Crusaders first brought eastern spices back to Europe, and Italian merchants began a trade network to satisfy the growing demand. Describe how the discovery of a sea route to India led to the Portuguese domination of the sea trade during the 1500s.

2. Have the students read the handout, “Economics in Daily Life – The Spices of Life” and identify the nine spices listed that rich Europeans bought from Asian lands: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, clove, mace, saffron, and pepper.

3. Divide students into cooperative groups (3 students per group), and distribute the Asia Inspirer customized travel log and map handouts.

4. Load Asia Inspirer software into classroom computer, and model its operation. Explain that each group will take a virtual tour of Asia in order to locate the six countries that produce the spices listed in the reading: China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

5. Have the groups plan a route to the six countries where the spices listed in the reading are produced. Explain that the software limits the tour to ten moves and that each move on the route must be between countries that share borders.

6. Show the students how to access the McCormick Spice Encyclopedia website, http://www.mccormick.com, to complete the Travel Log chart and questions.

DAY TWO:

7. In the computer lab, direct each student group to install Asia Inspirer into a computer and complete the travel logs by using the “custom category” to follow their planned virtual trip and locate all six of the spice-producing countries.

8. Each student should then log onto an individual computer and

• divide the nine spices among the three group members;

• access the McCormick Spice Encyclopedia website, http://www.mccormick.com, to determine the country or countries; that produced each spice and to research the assigned three spices in order to answer questions 1-4 on the travel log;

• share research data among group members.

CLOSURE:

Using the “Exit Tickets” the teacher should direct each student to list one food that uses the spice he/she researched.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

For homework, students will complete their Asia Inspirer maps by creating symbols for each spice, drawing the symbols on the country or countries that produce each spice, and creating a map key in the “Custom Categories” box to connect the symbol to the spice.