INTRODUCTION TO UNIT Target Grade Level: Elementary, Grades 4 -
6 This unit focuses on how plants are used for medicinal and
curing purposes. Students will study the misconceptions of
nineteenth-century Euro-American medicine, learn how Lewis and
Clark and American Indians used plants to cure and heal,
discover how many products we use today derive from plants,
create simple herbal remedies, and participate in a culminating
project that requires students to create a medicine box or bag
from plants. By the end of the unit, students will know that
nineteenth century Euro-American and American Indian medical
practices shared an appreciation for the value of plants as a
source of cures. Students will also know that other nineteenth-
century medical practices have long since been debunked, while
the study of plants has survived the test of time. Finally,
students will know how to pack an herbal medicine bag of their
own and how to apply these herbs to common ailments. The unit
uses readings, images, quotes, vocabul