African Plant Explorer

Fatimah Jackson, Ph.D., travels to Africa to study local plants that serve as food and medicine. She takes samples of the remarkable plants back to her laboratory to study. Her work with plants and people helps scientists learn more about the way certain foods prevent or cure human diseases.

Your students will develop an understanding of:

• energy, food, and personal health
• the chemical makeup of foods
• cultural diversity
• living things and environments
• the past and present contributions of people from different cultures

Activities include:

• Everyday Poisons—discover the poisons in everyday foods.
• Investigating Starch—examine the chemical properties of starch.
• African Arts—use cassava to batik African symbols onto cloth in a two-day activity.
• Green Travelers—follow the world travels of common foods throughout history.

Check out the supply list for each activity.