Spicing up geographyLearning about the Middle East and global

connectedness through spices

What is a spice?

flavoring for food

medicine

preservative

dye

incense

money (specie)

trade good (16,000% markup)

The spice game

PART I: Identifying the spices

First, try to identify the ground spices

Then match the ground spice to its whole form

What part of the plant is it?

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Black Pepper

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Cinnamon

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Cloves

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Cumin

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Ginger

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Coriander

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Turmeric

What’s this spice?

What’s this spice?

Nutmeg

the spice game

PART II: Mapping the spices

Research: Where is the spice from?

Research: Where is the spice used? Find recipes, pharmacological uses, religious uses

Research: What’s the story? Find historical anecdotes involving this spice

THE SPICE GAMEMap it! Create a large wall map of Eurasia, or use Google Earth.

For each spice, choose several places relating to the spice’s origin, uses, recipes, and at least one story.

Make colorful cards (or post-its!) or waypoints with each piece of information, and place them on the map in the appropriate places.

Make a line with glue connecting these places, and while glue is wet, sprinkle some of the dried spice along the line. For GE, make paths in different colors.

The spice game

Further curriculum connections:

Science lab: Do spices prevent bacterial growth?

Art project: Colors/mosaic

Art: potpourri sachets, clove-studded oranges

COOK!!!